Blowhole

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Blowhole \Blow"hole`\, n.
     1. A cavern in a cliff, at the water level, opening to the
        air at its farther extremity, so that the waters rush in
        with each surge and rise in a lofty jet from the
        extremity.
        [1913 Webster]


  
     2. A nostril or spiracle in the top of the head of a whale or
        other cetacean.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: There are two spiracles or blowholes in the common
           whales, but only one in sperm whales, porpoises, etc.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     3. A hole in the ice to which whales, seals, etc., come to
        breathe.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. (Founding) An air hole in a casting.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  blowhole
       n 1: the spiracle of a cetacean located far back on the skull
       2: a hole for the escape of gas or air [syn: {vent}, {venthole},
           {vent-hole}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  75 Moby Thesaurus words for "blowhole":
     air duct, air hole, air passage, air shaft, air tube, airway,
     armhole, avenue, breathing hole, bullet-hole, bunghole, channel,
     chute, cringle, deadeye, debouch, door, egress, emunctory, escape,
     estuary, exhaust, exit, eye, eyelet, floodgate, flume, gasket,
     grommet, guide, keyhole, knothole, loop, loophole, louver,
     louverwork, manhole, mousehole, naris, nostril, opening, out,
     outcome, outfall, outgate, outgo, outlet, peephole, pigeonhole,
     pinhole, placket, placket hole, pore, port, porthole, punch-hole,
     sally port, shaft, sluice, spilehole, spiracle, spout, tap,
     touchhole, transom, vent, ventage, venthole, ventiduct,
     ventilating shaft, ventilator, vomitory, way out, weir,
     wind tunnel