multivalve

adjective

mul·​ti·​valve ˌməl-tē-ˈvalv 

-ˌtī-

: having or involving multiple valves

multivalve heart disease

specifically, of an automotive engine : having more than two valves in each cylinder

Older engines had only two valves per cylinder, so there was plenty of room for a nice, fat spark plug to stick its nose into the cylinder. But the majority of engines today are multivalve. You could have four or five valves cut into the top of each cylinder now, leaving much less room to fit a plug there.

—Tom Magliozzi

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1753, in the meaning defined above