Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Having valvelike parts.
  • adjective Meeting at the edges without overlapping, as some petals do.
  • adjective Opening by valves, as the capsule of a lily or iris.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • In anatomy and zoology: Like a valve in form or function; resembling or serving for a valve; forming a valve; valvular; valviform: as, a valvate fold of membrane, Having a valve; provided with valves; valviferous; valvated: as, valvate vessels; a valvate orifice.
  • In botany, united by the margins only, and opening as if by doors or valves, as the capsules of regularly dehiscent fruits, the anthers of certain Ericaceæ, and the parts of a perianth which in the bud meet without overlapping: said also of an estivation thus characterized.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Resembling, or serving as, a valve; consisting of, or opening by, a valve or valves; valvular.
  • adjective Meeting at the edges without overlapping; -- said of the sepals or the petals of flowers in æstivation, and of leaves in vernation.
  • adjective Opening as if by doors or valves, as most kinds of capsules and some anthers.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Having valves (that open and close)

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