orifice

[ awr-uh-fis, or- ]

/ ˈɔr ə fɪs, ˈɒr- /

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See synonyms for orifice on Thesaurus.com

noun

an opening or aperture, as of a tube or pipe; a mouthlike opening or hole; mouth; vent.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of orifice

1535–45; <Middle French <Late Latin ōrificium, equivalent to Latin ōr- (stem of ōs) mouth + -i--i- + -fic-, combining form of facere to make, do¹ (see -fic) + -ium noun suffix

OTHER WORDS FROM orifice

or·i·fi·cial

[awr-uh-fish-uhl, or-], /ˌɔr əˈfɪʃ əl, ˌɒr-/, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH orifice

office, orifice

Words nearby orifice

Oriente, -oriented, orienteer, orienteering, Orient Express, orifice, orifice meter, oriflamme, orig., origami, origan

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use orifice in a sentence

That type is not nearly spooky or weird enough for a podcast episode, though, so the stuff I’m talking about this week is of the type that spiritualist mediums claimed to produce from various orifices in the early to mid 20th centuries.
How sexy Victorian mediums tricked scientists into believing in ectoplasm|PopSci Staff|October 27, 2021|Popular-Science
So, as Tarshis said in a recent essay: Cosby “just found another orifice to use.”
Don Lemon and the Rest of Society Don’t Understand How Rape Works|Emily Shire|November 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They can corrode through whatever human tissue they contact if swallowed or stuck into an orifice, sometimes in a matter of hours.
Kids Eat the Darndest Things: Laundry Pods, Teething Necklaces, and More Of The Weirdest Stuff Sending Kids to the E.R.|Russell Saunders|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
You can read about the film's various sex scenes and orifice exploration right here.
The Best of the 2014 Sundance Film Festival: ‘Frank,’ ‘Web Junkie,’ Anna Kendrick, and More|Marlow Stern|January 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Fasting in Islam means not putting anything in any orifice of the body.
First Friday of Ramadan For Palestinians|Maysoon Zayid|July 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
At its orifice reappeared the gold, spouting up furious and fuming, as if insulted by the vile metal which confined it.
Balsamo, The Magician|Alexander Dumas
A crimson orifice was seen just back of the foreleg, which showed where the tiny messenger of death had entered.
Two Boys in Wyoming|Edward S. Ellis
One may take a sheep's bladder into the orifice of which a tube is fastened.
Old-Time Makers of Medicine|James J. Walsh
Captain Pond clapped a thumb over the orifice of his air-cushion, and heaved a sigh as he thought of Sergeant Fugler.
Wandering Heath|Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch
He found the hatchway too tight for comfort and had a moment of fear when his tool pack caught in the orifice, wedging him neatly.
Tight Squeeze|Dean Charles Ing

British Dictionary definitions for orifice

orifice

/ (ˈɒrɪfɪs) /

noun

mainly Technical an opening or mouth into a cavity; vent; aperture

Word Origin for orifice

C16: via French from Late Latin ōrificium, from Latin ōs mouth + facere to make

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

orifice

Origin of orifice

OTHER WORDS FROM orifice

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH orifice

Words nearby orifice

Words related to orifice

How to use orifice in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for orifice

Word Origin for orifice