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nostril

American

[nos-truhl] / ˈnɒs trəl /

noun

either of the two external openings of the nose.

nostril British

/ ˈnɒstrɪl /

noun

either of the two external openings of the nose

"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

Etymology

Origin of nostril

before 1000; Middle English nostrill, Old English nosterl, variant of nosthyrl, equivalent to nos ( u ) nose + thyrel hole; thirl

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.

I have cotton balls in my nostrils, an ice pack on my eye, and Neosporin on the cut on my nose.

From Literature

"Swollen face, a fever, lameness, drooling and crusting of the nostrils - if you do come across any of those clinical signs ring the department immediately and we will investigate."

From BBC

She wears layers of clothes and a bandana around her face to protect herself from chemicals on the plants that she says burned her nostrils as she breathed.

From Los Angeles Times

The thick scent of soil fills my nostrils, and I imagine lava bubbling up to my heart.

From Literature

Together they gazed upon the dead tiger, with its ferocious teeth and flaring nostrils.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023