Ventilations

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act or process of allowing fresh air to enter and stale air to leave an enclosed space
2. The movement or circulation of air through a room, building, or system to improve air quality
3. The controlled introduction of air to maintain suitable breathing or environmental conditions

Etymology: "Ventilations" is simply the plural of "ventilation", so its history is that of the singular noun. That noun came into English by way of Middle French "ventilation" and Old French "ventilacion", both descending from Late Latin "ventilatio". Behind that lies Latin "ventilo", whose original sense was physical: to fan or blow air, from "ventus", "wind". The English word is built from "ventilate" with the common noun-forming suffix "-ion", meaning the act or process of doing what the verb describes. The sense of moving fresh air through a room is the literal one that the Latin root points to, so the word stayed close to its physical origin. The plural form is used when people speak of several separate systems or openings through which air passes, such as the vents in a building or a ship.

Synonyms: airing, circulation