manhole

[man-hohl]

noun

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.

manhole

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of manhole¹

First recorded in 1785–95; man + hole

Example Sentences

After getting out a few cans of spray paint, something drew him to the manhole cover in the street.

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

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Memphis, Tennessee, police stopped a man trying to pry up a manhole cover with a crowbar.

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Other names and products are plunked before us with the subtlety of a manhole cover dropped from a great height.

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"I also love the way an intervention can affect somebody's day. I remember I saw a manhole that had been painted into an egg - that made me smile."

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