blowhole
[ bloh-hohl ]
/ ˈbloʊˌhoʊl /
noun
an air or gas vent, especially one to carry off fumes from a tunnel, underground passage, etc.
either of two nostrils or spiracles, or a single one, at the top of the head in whales and other cetaceans, through which they breathe.
a hole in the ice to which whales or seals come to breathe.
Metallurgy.
a defect in a casting or ingot caused by the escape of gas.
Geology.
a hole in a sea cliff or coastal terrace through which columns of spray are jetted upward.
Words nearby blowhole
Example sentences from the Web for blowhole
The flute has likewise the complete series, because through the blowhole it is a pipe open at both ends.
In any case, be careful to leave the blowhole free so that the animal can breathe.
Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Western North Atlantic |Stephen LeatherwoodThe blowhole was large and somewhat unsymmetrically placed, the right angle being the more anterior.
The Beaked Whales of the Family Ziphidae |Frederick TrueThe body is long and slender, and the head is narrow and gently tapered from the area of the blowhole forward.
Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Western North Atlantic |Stephen Leatherwood
British Dictionary definitions for blowhole
blowhole
/ (ˈbləʊˌhəʊl) /
noun
the nostril, paired or single, of whales, situated far back on the skull
a hole in ice through which whales, seals, etc, breathe
- a vent for air or gas, esp to release fumes from a tunnel, passage, etc
- NZ a hole emitting gas or steam in a volcanic region
a bubble-like defect in an ingot resulting from gas being trapped during solidification
geology
a hole in a cliff top leading to a sea cave through which air is forced by the action of the sea