nostril

[ nos-truhl ]

/ ˈnɒs trəl /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: nostrils on Thesaurus.com

noun

either of the two external openings of the nose.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

false

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of nostril

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

Words nearby nostril

nostology, no stomach for, have, nostomania, Nostradamus, no-strike, nostril, no-strings, no strings attached, nostro account, Nostromo, nostrum

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use nostril in a sentence

Failing to cover both renders even a high-quality mask basically useless, since you can still exhale viral particles from your nostrils if they’re not underneath the mask.
How to wear a face mask for maximum protection|Erin Fennessy|February 2, 2021|Popular-Science
A family of four walking down the street, mom and kids masked up—but the dad’s mask doesn’t quite reach his nostrils.
Why won’t men wear their masks over their noses?|Emma Hinchliffe|January 25, 2021|Fortune
The virus can also sometimes just hang around in a person’s nostrils after they are exposed, Barocas said.
Yes, people with coronavirus vaccinations should still distance from each other. Here’s why.|Allyson Chiu|January 21, 2021|Washington Post
There are plenty to choose from, whether it be box breathing or alternate nostril breathing or something in between.
How to keep your anxiety from spiraling out of control|Sara Chodosh|January 15, 2021|Popular-Science

Facing the health-care worker, he straightens his back, takes a swab to the nostrils, scrunches his face and exhales.
After ‘Hamilton,’ Leslie Odom Jr. just wanted to be himself. Then the role of Sam Cooke came calling.|Thomas Floyd|January 14, 2021|Washington Post
The physician should heal the ulcer, and the child should be taught always to vaseline the nostril before cleansing it.
The Mother and Her Child|William S. Sadler
The nostrils of a fish can be proved to end in little pits, one under each nostril hole.
A Civic Biology|George William Hunter
Her nose was Grecian, but perhaps a little too wide at the nostril to be considered perfect in its chiselling.
Orley Farm|Anthony Trollope
The Œstrus ovis occasions much distress to the sheep at the moment of depositing its eggs within the nostril.
A Treatise on Sheep:|Ambrose Blacklock
When this has continued for a few seconds, the pipe is withdrawn, and the operation repeated on the other nostril.
A Treatise on Sheep:|Ambrose Blacklock

British Dictionary definitions for nostril

nostril

/ (ˈnɒstrɪl) /

noun

either of the two external openings of the noseRelated adjectives: narial, narine

Word Origin for nostril

Old English nosthyrl, from nosu nose + thyrel hole

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for nostril

nostril

[ nŏs′trəl ]

A naris.

nostril

Origin of nostril

Words nearby nostril

Words related to nostril

How to use nostril in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nostril

Word Origin for nostril

Medical definitions for nostril