nostril
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of nostril
before 1000; Middle English nostrill, Old English nosterl, variant of nosthyrl, equivalent to nos ( u ) nose + thyrel hole; see thirl
Explanation
A nostril is one of the two holes in your nose through which you breathe, smell, and (sometimes) sneeze. Try not to get anything stuck in your nostrils; they're important passageways! Your nostrils are extremely important, since they provide a direct connection to your lungs — for air — and your olfactory nerves, which your body uses to smell things. You are almost certainly aware of your two external nostrils, but you may not know that you've got two more, inside your head at the very back of the nasal cavity. Most animals have nostrils, even fish — though they use theirs only for smelling, not for breathing. Fittingly, the Old English source of nostril, nosðirl, translates to "the hole of the nose."
Vocabulary lists containing nostril
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
This one performed the same series of tests: A camera went into my nostril.
From Slate • Apr. 18, 2026
McPeek also had the horse scoped, where a tube is inserted in the horse’s nostril and then pushed down to see if there are any respiratory issues, and that apparently came back good.
From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2024
They introduced these virus suspensions drop-by-drop into each nostril of the piglets and monitored them for 5 days to see whether they displayed any symptoms, including changes in body temperature.
From Science Daily • Mar. 18, 2024
A moment later he returned, kneeled over her and placed his hand over one nostril before launching a "significant amount of mucus" onto her.
From BBC • Sep. 18, 2023
Next to him an eating lady in a green and purple Kanjeevaram sari and diamonds clustered like shining bees on each nostril offered him yellow laddoos in a box.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
