Blowhole Definition & Meaning

American

British

Etymology

Examples

blowhole American [bloh-hohl] / ˈbloʊˌhoʊl /

noun

1. an air or gas vent, especially one to carry off fumes from a tunnel, underground passage, etc.

2. 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.

3. a hole in the ice to which whales or seals come to breathe.

4. Metallurgy. a defect in a casting or ingot caused by the escape of gas.

5. Geology. a hole in a sea cliff or coastal terrace through which columns of spray are jetted upward.

blowhole British / ˈbləʊˌhəʊl /

noun

1. the nostril, paired or single, of whales, situated far back on the skull

2. a hole in ice through which whales, seals, etc, breathe

3. 1. a vent for air or gas, esp to release fumes from a tunnel, passage, etc

   2. a hole emitting gas or steam in a volcanic region

4. a bubble-like defect in an ingot resulting from gas being trapped during solidification

5. geology a hole in a cliff top leading to a sea cave through which air is forced by the action of the sea

"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 blowhole

First recorded in 1685–95; blow 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.

Scientists flew drones equipped with special kit through the exhaled droplets, or "blows", made when the giants come up to breathe through their blowholes.

From BBC

Farther off, whales blew jets of water from their blowholes like smoke from the smokestack of a Bloomer steam locomotive.

From Literature

He explains that the ideal position for the tag was directly behind the blowhole and oriented toward the head so it could capture feeding activity during deep dives.

From Science Daily

At the same time, the whales blew air from their blowholes, and a dense layer of bubbles surged upward, forcing the robots into the tidal wave’s path.

From Literature

There was a loud burst, and mist shot up from a blowhole.

From Literature

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.