nostril

American  

[nos-truhl] / ˈnɒs trəl /

noun

1. either of the two external openings of the nose.

---

nostril British  

/ ˈnɒstrɪl /

noun

1. either of the two external openings of the nose

---

Etymology

Origin of nostril

before 1000; Middle English nostrill, Old English nosterl, variant of nosthyrl, equivalent to nos ( u ) nose + thyrel hole; see thirl

Explanation

A nostril is one of the two holes in your nose through which you breathe, smell, and (sometimes) sneeze. Try not to get anything stuck in your nostrils; they're important passageways! Your nostrils are extremely important, since they provide a direct connection to your lungs — for air — and your olfactory nerves, which your body uses to smell things. You are almost certainly aware of your two external nostrils, but you may not know that you've got two more, inside your head at the very back of the nasal cavity. Most animals have nostrils, even fish — though they use theirs only for smelling, not for breathing. Fittingly, the Old English source of nostril, nosðirl, translates to "the hole of the nose."

Example Sentences

Nostril position in dinosaurs and other vertebrates and its significance for nasal function.

From Scientific American • Nov. 20, 2012

Nostril nearer to tip of bill than to eye.

From Color Key to North American Birds with bibiographical appendix by Chapman, Frank M.

Nostril, nos′tril, n. one of the openings of the nose.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various

So sented the grim Feature, and upturn'd His Nostril wide into the murkie Air, 280 Sagacious of his Quarrey from so farr.

From The Poetical Works of John Milton by Milton, John

O Nostril, coming out of Sesennu,680 the Osiris N hath not been exacting.

From Egyptian Literature Comprising Egyptian tales, hymns, litanies, invocations, the Book of the Dead, and cuneiform writings by Wilson, Epiphanius