manhole

American  

[man-hohl] / ˈmænˌhoʊl /

noun

• manholes
  plural

1. a hole, usually with a cover, through which a person may enter a sewer, drain, steam boiler, etc., especially one located in a city street.

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manhole British  

/ ˈmænˌhəʊl /

noun

1. Also called: inspection chamber.  a shaft with a removable cover that leads down to a sewer or drain

2. a hole, usually with a detachable cover, through which a man can enter a boiler, tank, etc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• manholes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of manhole

First recorded in 1785–95; man + hole

Explanation

A manhole is an opening in a street or sidewalk that gives workers access to underground pipes, drains, power lines, and cables. A manhole usually has a heavy metal cover — which can go shooting up in the air in the case of an underground explosion. Steer clear of smoking manholes! Inside a manhole, there are steps or a ladder leading down to the space underneath the street. Utility workers need access to this underground area to make repairs or updates to services. From above, a manhole simply looks like a metal circle in the pavement. The word manhole (which sounds a little dated, since plenty of utility workers are women) was coined in the late 18th century.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

manhole manholes

Officer Britney Myers spotted the scruffy critter and climbed down a manhole after her, as seen in video from the agency.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

For the first time, the city has also got its own detachment of mounted police officers, workers have filled in the potholes and manhole covers have finally been laid flush with the surrounding pavement.

From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026

Gocaj stepped into an exposed manhole on Monday night outside a store near Fifth Avenue and 52nd Street in Midtown Manhattan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026

The video feed later showed a number of carabinieri and firefighters peering into a manhole nearby as a crowd continued to mill about the square.

From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026

At that moment, in 1981, the Cold War hinged on the calm nerves and training of one American spy, standing knee-deep in chilly water in a Moscow manhole.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

The local council has previously posted warnings telling residents to "always stay away from storm water drains, pipes and manholes", describing them as a series of "grates and pits" which could easily "trap someone".

From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2024

An estimated 8 million gallons overflowed manholes and streamed into storm drains that empty into the Dominguez Channel, which terminates at Cabrillo Beach, Langpap said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 7, 2024

Rescuers also cordoned off overflowing manholes, carried a child from a stranded vehicle and guided others to move their motorcycles through the murky waters, the videos showed.

From Reuters ● Sep. 8, 2023

She tracked more than 1,700 manholes here that had been geotagged for their location.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 13, 2023

The metal tubes lining manholes popped out of the pavement as the ground around them sank and settled.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland