overhead valve

noun

A type of valve in an internal combustion engine, and thus also (metonymic) the type of valvetrain design, the type of engine that uses it, or an instance of such an engine; this design has the inlet and exhaust valves in the cylinder head (and therefore above the piston). The camshaft can be beside the pistons (with pushrods and rockers operating the valves) or above the valves, with the latter usually referred to as overhead cam.

“This engine has overhead valves.”

Similar
OHV
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Meanings

nounoverhead valve (plural overhead valves)

plural overhead valves

  1. automotiveA type of valve in an internal combustion engine, and thus also (metonymic) the type of valvetrain design, the type of engine that uses it, or an instance of such an engine; this design has the inlet and exhaust valves in the cylinder head (and therefore above the piston). The camshaft can be beside the pistons (with pushrods and rockers operating the valves) or above the valves, with the latter usually referred to as overhead cam.

    This engine has overhead valves.

    2 more examples

    This engine is an overhead valve model.

    This engine is an overhead valve.

    Synonyms: OHV

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA type of valve in an internal combustion engine, and thus also (metonymic) the type of valvetrain design, the type of engine that uses it, or an instance of such an engine; this design has the inlet and exhaust valves in the cylinder head (and therefore above the piston). The camshaft can be beside the pistons (with pushrods and rockers operating the valves) or above the valves, with the latter usually referred to as overhead cam.

Similar
OHV
Cite this entry
APA

overhead valve. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overhead%20valve

MLA

“overhead valve.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overhead%20valve. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “overhead valve,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overhead%20valve.

Source: overhead valve on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.