Spiracle

3 definitions found

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

  Spiracle \Spir"a*cle\, n.[L. spiraculum, fr. spirare to breathe:
     cf. F. spiracule. See {Spirit}.]
     1. (Anat.) The nostril, or one of the nostrils, of whales,
        porpoises, and allied animals.
        [1913 Webster]
  


     2. (Zool.)
        (a) One of the external openings communicating with the
            air tubes or tracheae of insects, myriapods, and
            arachnids. They are variable in number, and are
            usually situated on the sides of the thorax and
            abdomen, a pair to a segment. These openings are
            usually elliptical, and capable of being closed. See
            Illust. under {Coleoptera}.
        (a) A tubular orifice communicating with the gill cavity
            of certain ganoid and all elasmobranch fishes. It is
            the modified first gill cleft.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     3. Any small aperture or vent for air or other fluid.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  spiracle
       n : a breathing orifice

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

  75 Moby Thesaurus words for "spiracle":
     air duct, air hole, air passage, air shaft, air tube, airway,
     armhole, avenue, blowhole, 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, spout, tap, touchhole,
     transom, vent, ventage, venthole, ventiduct, ventilating shaft,
     ventilator, vomitory, way out, weir, wind tunnel