blowhole

[ bloh-hohl ]

noun
  1. an air or gas vent, especially one to carry off fumes from a tunnel, underground passage, etc.

  2. either of two nostrils or spiracles, or a single one, at the top of the head in whales and other cetaceans, through which they breathe.

  1. a hole in the ice to which whales or seals come to breathe.

  2. Metallurgy. a defect in a casting or ingot caused by the escape of gas.

  3. Geology. a hole in a sea cliff or coastal terrace through which columns of spray are jetted upward.

Origin of blowhole

1
First recorded in 1685–95; blow2 + hole

Words Nearby blowhole

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use blowhole in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for blowhole

blowhole

/ (ˈbləʊˌhəʊl) /


noun
  1. the nostril, paired or single, of whales, situated far back on the skull

  2. a hole in ice through which whales, seals, etc, breathe

    • a vent for air or gas, esp to release fumes from a tunnel, passage, etc

    • NZ a hole emitting gas or steam in a volcanic region

  1. a bubble-like defect in an ingot resulting from gas being trapped during solidification

  2. geology a hole in a cliff top leading to a sea cave through which air is forced by the action of the sea

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