valve gear

noun

The mechanism of a steam engine that operates the inlet and exhaust valves to admit steam into the cylinder and allow exhaust steam to escape, respectively, at the correct points in the cycle.

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Meanings

nounvalve gear (countable and uncountable, plural valve gears)

plural valve gears

  1. countableuncountableengineeringThe mechanism of a steam engine that operates the inlet and exhaust valves to admit steam into the cylinder and allow exhaust steam to escape, respectively, at the correct points in the cycle.

    Three independent sets of Walschaerts valve gear are provided, those for the outside cylinders being driven by return cranks placed on the driving crankpins, and by crosshead arms attached to the crossheads.

    1956 April, “"Merchant Navy" Class Pacific Modified”, in Railway Magazine, page 209

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
valve train
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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