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Synonyms

peephole

American  
[peep-hohl] / ˈpipˌhoʊl /

noun

  • peepholes
    plural
  1. a small hole or opening through which to peep or look, as in a door.


peephole British  
/ ˈpiːpˌhəʊl /

noun

  1. a small aperture, such as one in the door of a flat for observing callers before opening

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of peephole

First recorded in 1675–85; peep 1 + hole

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:

If you’re home alone or with family members and you hear a knock at the door, check the window, security camera or peephole so you can identify if ICE agents are outside.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 22, 2025

He then heard a second, "very aggressive knock" but did not see anyone when he looked through the peephole.

From BBC ● May 9, 2024

The door was not equipped with a peephole, so Rehn couldn’t see who was demanding she open up.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 13, 2023

The mother tells the police that she saw the boy through the peephole and knew he was holding a real gun, because she sells firearms.

From New York Times ● Jan. 17, 2023

Pulling the curtain back from the glass peephole in the door, I took one last look to see whether or not someone was following me.

From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals

Visitors can interact with the exhibition by looking through peepholes to find photographs that tell a story.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2026

Leidos told Congress in December it would install peepholes on dorm room doors, limit access to master keys that could open multiple bedrooms, and give teams in the field an extra satellite phone.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 26, 2023

And while they didn't find any peepholes in the buildings they studied, they did find some hidden stairs.

From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2022

For years, Gibb kept finding tiny peepholes into what looked like a large, interconnected system of caves.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 21, 2022

He found peepholes in the wall but saw only empty rooms with chairs and tables beyond.

From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer

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