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Resembling, or serving as, a valve; consisting of, or opening by, a valve or valves; valvular.

Containing valves; serving as a valve; opening by valves; valvate; as, a valvular capsule.

the body being rectangular and supported on legs or an ornamental framework and the front opening downwards on hinges to serve as a writing desk.

variable and vain! Milton. Variable exhaust (Steam Eng.), a blast pipe with an adjustable opening. -- Variable quantity (Math.), a variable. -- Variable stars (Astron.), fixed stars which vary in their brightness, usually in more or less uniform periods.

The act or operation of opening a vein for letting blood; bloodletting; phlebotomy.

The anal opening of certain invertebrates and fishes; also, the external cloacal opening of reptiles, birds, amphibians, and many fishes.

ings, of flowers (Bot.), a peculiar faculty belonging to the flowers of certain plants of opening and closing their petals as certain hours of the day. [R.]

A part of a helmet, arranged so as to lift or open, and so show the face. The openings for seeing and breathing are generally in it.

The external parts of the female genital organs; sometimes, the opening between the projecting parts of the external organs.

ually having a plug, applied to a cistern, tub, sink, or the like, and forming the outlet opening.

One of a system of tubular excretory organs having external openings, found in many invertebrates. They are believed to be analogous in function to the kidneys of vertebrates. See Illust. under Trematodea, and Sporocyst.

A piece of plank placed in a porthole, or other opening, to keep out water.

s and other similar materials. In some of the species the nest is retort-shaped, with the opening at the bottom of the tube. -- Weavers' shuttle (Zoöl.), an East Indian marine univalve shell (Radius volva); -- so called from its shape. See Illust. of Shuttle shell, under Shuttle.

An opening through the floors of a building, as for a staircase or an elevator; a wellhole.

or door, especially one forming part of, or placed near, a larger door or gate; a narrow opening or entrance cut in or beside a door or gate, or the door which is used to close such entrance or aperture. Piers Plowman. "Heaven's wicket." Milton. And so went to the high street, . . . and came to the great tower, but th…

So as to leave or have a great space between the sides; so as to form a large opening. Shak.

An opening in the wall of a building for the admission of light and air, usually closed by casements or sashes containing some transparent material, as glass, and capable of being opened and shut at pleasure. I leaped from the window of the citadel. Shak. Then to come, in spite of sorrow, And at my window bid good morr…

Having windows or openings. [R.] "Looped and windowed raggedness." Shak.

Having little crossings or openings like the sashes of a window. [R.] Donne.

The act of closing, or closing and opening, the eyelids quickly; hence, the time necessary for such an act; a moment. I have not slept one wink. Shak. I could eclipse and cloud them with a wink. Donne.