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

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Etymology

Origin of manhole

First recorded in 1785–95; man + hole

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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

“There’s very little information under the ground. You’re just going, ‘Pipe, pipe, manhole.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

"For these reasons, members of the public should never enter a pipe, drain, catch basin, manhole, or outfall," the city's Department of Environmental Protection previously told the BBC.

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026

The passage tapped into the El Paso sewer system, where, according to U.S. authorities, migrants surfaced from a manhole.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 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

In some places, there were holes as big as manhole covers.

From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan

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

PTI news agency quotes Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Surabhi Malik as saying: "We are going to collect samples from manholes. It is quite likely that some chemical reacted with methane in manholes."

From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2023

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

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 13, 2023

Moreover, the KGB regularly checked the manholes for tampering.

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

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