MV
Abbreviation with 5 meanings
| Stands for | Motor vessel |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 5 |
| Categories | Transportation & Travel, Medical, Geography & Places, Units & Measurements |
| Also written | mV |
MV has five meanings. The most common are Motor vessel (maritime) and Mechanical ventilation (respiratory); it can also stand for Mitral valve, Maldives and Millivolt.
Meanings of MV at a glance
| # | MV stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Motor vessel | Transportation & Travel › Maritime |
| 2 | Mechanical ventilation | Medical › Respiratory |
| 3 | Mitral valve | Medical › Cardiology |
| 4 | Maldives | Geography & Places › Country Code |
| 5 | Millivolt | Units & Measurements › Engineering Unit |
1. Motor vessel
Transportation & Travel · Maritime Abbreviations
Prefix for a ship powered by an internal combustion engine, usually diesel, the propulsion used by most modern merchant ships. Ferries, bulk carriers and container ships are commonly styled MV.
Example: The MV Dali lost power before striking the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore in March 2024.
Also written M/V. The prefix is a convention rather than a legal requirement, and owners choose how to style names. MS and MY are related forms. Steam-powered ships historically used SS, and some owners keep traditional prefixes for branding.
2. Mechanical ventilation
Medical · Respiratory Abbreviations
Use of a machine to move air in and out of the lungs through an endotracheal or tracheostomy tube in patients who cannot breathe adequately on their own, from respiratory failure, surgery, coma or neuromuscular weakness.
Example: Day 4 of MV for pneumonia; daily SAT and SBT bundle, VAP prevention measures in place.
Complications include ventilator-associated pneumonia, lung injury, muscle weakness and delirium, so care bundles emphasize daily sedation interruption, spontaneous breathing trials, head-of-bed elevation and early mobility. The ABC trial (2008) found that pairing awakening and breathing trials shortened ventilation and improved survival. In respiratory physiology MV can also mean minute ventilation, and in cardiology the mitral valve.
3. Mitral valve
Medical · Cardiology Abbreviations
Two-leaflet valve between the left atrium and left ventricle that opens during diastole and closes during systole. Echo reports describe its leaflets, the supporting chordae and papillary muscles, and any prolapse, regurgitation or stenosis.
Example: MV: mild thickening of the anterior leaflet, no prolapse, trace MR.
Named for its resemblance to a bishop's mitre. Its anterior and posterior leaflets are divided into scallops labeled A1 to A3 and P1 to P3, terminology surgeons use when planning repair. In respiratory and critical care MV more often means mechanical ventilation.
4. Maldives
Geography & Places · Country Code Abbreviations
Lowest-lying country in the world, an Indian Ocean chain of about 1,190 coral islands averaging around 1.5 metres above sea level. Malé is the capital and MDV the alpha-3 code.
Example: Resort seaplanes in MV fly only in daylight.
Rising sea levels threaten the country's existence. The Maldives is Asia's smallest country by both area and population. The language code dv is Dhivehi.
5. Millivolt (mV)
Units & Measurements · Engineering Unit Abbreviations
One thousandth of a volt, the scale of nerve and muscle signals, thermocouples, sensors and audio signals. A resting neuron sits at about −70 mV, and an ECG records heart signals of around 1 mV.
Example: At 1,000°C a Type K thermocouple produces about 41 mV.
Electrophysiology, pH meters and strain gauges all work in the millivolt range, so their signals need amplification before measurement. A pH electrode changes by about 59 mV per pH unit at 25°C, the basis of every pH meter. Multimeters include a dedicated mV range for such readings.
Related abbreviations
More maritime abbreviations
- MLC – Maritime Labour Convention
- MMSI – Maritime Mobile Service Identity
- MOB – Man overboard
- MS – Motor ship
- MY – Motor yacht
- NRT – Net register tonnage
- NT – Net tonnage
- NVOCC – Non-vessel operating common carrier
See all 61 maritime abbreviations →
More respiratory abbreviations
- LRTI – Lower respiratory tract infection
- LTOT – Long-term oxygen therapy
- LUL – Left upper lobe
- MART – Maintenance and reliever therapy
- NC – Nasal cannula
- NIPPV – Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation
- NIV – Noninvasive ventilation
- NRB – Nonrebreather mask
See all 109 respiratory abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.