nozzle
Americannoun
-
nozzles
plural
-
a projecting spout, terminal discharging pipe, or the like, as of a hose or bellows.
-
Slang. the nose.
-
the spout of a teapot.
-
the socket of a candlestick.
noun
-
a projecting pipe or spout from which fluid is discharged
-
Also called: propelling nozzle. a pipe or duct, esp in a jet engine or rocket, that directs the effluent and accelerates or diffuses the flow to generate thrust
-
a socket, such as the part of a candlestick that holds the candle
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of nozzle
Explanation
A nozzle is the spout at the end of a hose that water flows through. Any kind of fluid — oil, gasoline — can move through a tube and squirt out of a nozzle, but we usually think of water in a hose, with the nozzle controlling the spray. The root of nozzle is nose, which — if you use a little imagination — describes the shape of most nozzles.
Vocabulary lists containing nozzle
100 Great Words from "Fahrenheit 451" -- Part I Vocabulary
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
When You Reach Me
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Unit 4: Powerful Openings
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
And, finally, to create a further barrier for germs, he suggests directing the air nozzle between you and the person next to you.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2025
Inspectors also found old meat left in a mincer's nozzle and too few sinks for people to wash their hands at Kenya Butchers in West Street, Reading, run by KBH Meats Ltd.
From BBC ● May 10, 2025
It took me three hours to force the hose onto the pump nozzle, but I couldn’t cinch it up securely.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 24, 2025
HITS-Bio uses a digitally controlled nozzle array, an arrangement of multiple nozzles that moves in three dimensions and allows researchers to manipulate several spheroids at the same time.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 3, 2024
He held the nozzle out to one side and stepped into Luke’s line of vision.
From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan
The Soviet-era Paks power plant uses the Danube for cooling but the water level is so low that the suction nozzles cannot reach it.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
Combined, that’s 68% more EV chargers than gasoline nozzles in the state.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026
One is replacing the fuel nozzles to utilize natural gas instead of jet fuel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026
He adds that he saves on pesticide spray since the nozzles only turn on when weeds are detected, as opposed to the kind of blanket spraying he used to do.
From BBC ● Jan. 19, 2026
I could feel the tears start to spurt from the screwed-up nozzles of my eyes.
From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath
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.
