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definitions

porthole

[pawrt-hohl, pohrt-]
See more synonyms for porthole on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a round, windowlike opening with a hinged, watertight glass cover in the side of a vessel for admitting air and light.Compare port4(def 1).
  2. an opening in a wall, door, etc., as one through which to shoot.

Origin of porthole

First recorded in 1585–95; port4 + hole
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for porthole

channel, orifice, vent, opening, tear, spout, escape, break, aperture, egress, exit, crack, release, hole, avenue, nozzle, duct, porthole, bay, bow

Examples from the Web for porthole

Contemporary Examples of porthole

Historical Examples of porthole

  • A porthole, with the black heavens and the blazing stars, was before her.

  • He looked around the fixed cabin and out the porthole at the unmoving stars.

    Death Wish

    Robert Sheckley

  • He lowered a tender gaze on his banjo and I went on looking through the porthole.

    Some Reminiscences

    Joseph Conrad

  • He stood there, looking out the porthole, and forgot I was there.

    The Stoker and the Stars

    Algirdas Jonas Budrys (AKA John A. Sentry)

  • Suddenly I became aware that the porthole was open, and fastened back.

    The Upper Berth

    Francis Marion Crawford

British Dictionary definitions for porthole

porthole

noun
  1. a small aperture in the side of a vessel to admit light and air, usually fitted with a watertight glass or metal cover, or bothSometimes shortened to: port
  2. an opening in a wall or parapet through which a gun can be fired; embrasure
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
Word Origin and History for porthole
n.

also port-hole, 1590s, from port (n.2) + hole (n.).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper