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taphole

American  
[tap-hohl] / ˈtæpˌhoʊl /

noun

Metallurgy.

  1. a hole in a blast furnace, steelmaking furnace, etc., through which molten metal or slag is tapped tap off.

taphole British  
/ ˈtæpˌhəʊl /

noun

  1. a hole in a furnace for running off molten metal or slag

"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 taphole

First recorded in 1585–95; tap 2 + 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.

At last the Squire grew weary of standing there with his finger in the taphole, so he took it out.

From Popular Tales from the Norse by Dasent, George Webbe

This is drawn off through the taphole D. The carbon monoxide formed in the reaction escapes through the pipes E and is led back into the furnace.

From An Elementary Study of Chemistry by McPherson, William

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.