VALVE

Meaning

A device that controls the flow of a gas or fluid through a pipe.

• verbTo control (flow) by means of a valve.

VALVE as a word-puzzle answer

VALVE is a 5-letter word with 2 vowels (A, E) and 3 consonants (V, L, V). It repeats 1 letter, which is a classic trap — guessers who assume five distinct letters get stuck.

It leans on high-frequency letters (A, E), so a strong vowel-and-common-consonant opener tends to light up quickly. Watch for the less-common letter V — saving a guess to test it once the vowels are placed is usually the fastest route.