safety valve
1
4.0
- noun
- /ˈseɪfti vælv/
:
válvula de seguridad
- Arguably, this modus vivendi functioned as a stabilizing "safety valve" for the regime.
Examples
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Many cultures have accepted the male predilection for prostitutes as inevitable and even as a safety valve for what Thomas Aquinas called men's "careless lusts."
Academic text (2011) -
The safety valve!
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In Florida, he had used Kay as a kind of safety valve to release his frustration, anger, and pain, and she had just been through the hardest two weeks of her life.
Academic text (1996) -
One of the most important reasons for this administrative change was to curtail the powers of the increasingly vocal GPC by concentrating authority in the hands of the mahallat, which Qaddafi regarded as 'a real safety valve.'
Academic text (1996) -
The safety valve on the steam boiler prevents explosions by releasing excess pressure.
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Exercise can act as a safety valve, helping to relieve stress and improve mental health.
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In times of high tension, a good conversation can serve as a safety valve to reduce anxiety.
Synonyms
4
3.9
A device that opens automatically to let out extra pressure
A part that opens by itself to let out pressure and prevent an accident
A device that opens by itself to let out extra pressure and prevent explosions
A valve that opens by itself to let out extra pressure in a steam boiler
Antonyms
How Relieved
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun is transparently built from 'safety' + 'valve' and directly denotes a valve whose function is to ensure safety (i.e., release excess pressure), so a learner who knows both words can readily infer the literal device meaning; the metaphorical sense as a 'release for emotion or stress' is also a predictable extension of the component meanings. This is a regular noun–noun compound pattern found cross-linguistically, so an average B1 learner would understand it from the constituents.
Etymology
Safety valve comes from the boiler valve that opens to let out steam when pressure builds up. Because the valve 'releases pressure' to stop a big accident, people use the phrase safety valve for things that let out strong feelings or calm public anger, so it means 'a way to relieve stress'.