orifice

[ awr-uh-fis, or- ]
/ ˈɔr ə fɪs, ˈɒr- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR orifice ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an opening or aperture, as of a tube or pipe; a mouthlike opening or hole; mouth; vent.

Origin of orifice

1535–45; < Middle French < Late Latin ōrificium, equivalent to Latin ōr- (stem of ōs) mouth + -i- -i- + -fic-, combining form of facere to make, do1 (see -fic) + -ium noun suffix

OTHER WORDS FROM orifice

or·i·fi·cial [awr-uh-fish-uh l, or-] /ˌɔr əˈfɪʃ əl, ˌɒr-/, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH orifice

office orifice

Words nearby orifice

oriente, orienteer, orienteering, orienting reflex, orienting response, orifice, orifice meter, orificium, oriflamme, orig., origami

Words related to orifice

vent, cavity, spout, window, slit, mouth, outlet, crack, aperture, hole

Example sentences from the Web for orifice

British Dictionary definitions for orifice

orifice
/ (ˈɒrɪfɪs) /

noun

mainly Technical an opening or mouth into a cavity; vent; aperture

Word Origin for orifice

C16: via French from Late Latin ōrificium, from Latin ōs mouth + facere to make

Medical definitions for orifice

orifice
[ ôr′ə-fĭs ]

n.

An opening, especially to a cavity or passage of the body; a mouth or vent.

Other words from orifice

or′i•fi′cial (-fĭsh′əl) adj.