noun · verb · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˈbləʊhəʊl/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:B L OW1 HH OW2 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The spiracle, on the top of the head, through which cetaceans breathe.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: marine biology
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A hole in sea ice where cetaceans and pinnipeds come to breathe.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A top-facing opening to a cavity in the ground very near an ocean's shore, leading to a marine cave from which wave water or bursts of air are expelled.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: geography, geology, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A vent for the escape of steam or other gas.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: geography, geology, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
An unintended cavity filled with air in a casting product.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
a hole for the escape of gas or air
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: vent, venthole, vent-hole
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: hole
Narrower terms: smoke hole
9
noun
Meaning 9
the spiracle of a cetacean located far back on the skull
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: spiracle
History
Etymology
From blow + hole.
Across languages
Translations
45 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Azerbaijani:
nəfəslik
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
Azerbaijani:
hava dəliyi
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
Catalan:
espiracle
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
Chinese Mandarin:
噴氣孔 /喷气孔
(pēnqìkǒng)
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
Faroese:
blástur
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
Finnish:
ilmareikä
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
Finnish:
hengitysaukko
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
French:
évent
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
German:
Blasloch
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
Greek:
φυσητήρας
(fysitíras)
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
Ancient Greek:
φυσητήρ
(phusētḗr)
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
Icelandic:
blásturshola
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
Icelandic:
blástursop
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
Irish:
poll séidte
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
Italian:
sfiatatoio
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
Māori:
tāpihapiha
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
Māori:
piha
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
Māori:
pihapiha
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
Polish:
nozdrze
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
Polish:
otwór nosowy
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
Portuguese:
espiráculo
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
Portuguese:
respiradouro
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
Russian:
ды́хало
(dýxalo)
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
Spanish:
espiráculo
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
Swedish:
blåshål
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
Welsh:
twll chwythu
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
Welsh:
chwythdwll
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
Yiddish:
בלאָזלאָך
(blozlokh)
— spiracle through which cetaceans breathe
Yiddish:
אָטעמלאָך
(otemlokh)
— hole in sea ice through which cetaceans breathe
Chinese Mandarin:
吹蝕穴 /吹蚀穴
(chuīshíxué)
— A top-facing opening to a cavity in the ground very near an ocean's shore, that leads to a marine cave from which wave water and/or bursts of air are expelled.
Bulgarian:
отдушник
(otdušnik)
— vent for the escape of steam or other gas
Chinese Mandarin:
噴氣孔 /喷气孔
(pēnqìkǒng)
— vent for the escape of steam or other gas
Finnish:
kaasuonkalo
— vent for the escape of steam or other gas
Ido:
nazotruo
— vent for the escape of steam or other gas
Italian:
sfiatatoio
— vent for the escape of steam or other gas
Portuguese:
respiradouro
— vent for the escape of steam or other gas
Russian:
отду́шина
(otdúšina)
— vent for the escape of steam or other gas
Russian:
вентиляцио́нное отве́рстие
(ventiljaciónnoje otvérstije)
— vent for the escape of steam or other gas
Bulgarian:
шупла
(šupla)
— unintended cavity filled with air in a casting product
Dutch:
gietblaas
— unintended cavity filled with air in a casting product
Dutch:
gietgal
— unintended cavity filled with air in a casting product
Finnish:
ilmakupla
— unintended cavity filled with air in a casting product
Finnish:
ilmareikä
— unintended cavity filled with air in a casting product
German:
Lunker
— unintended cavity filled with air in a casting product
Yiddish:
בלעזל
(blezl)
— unintended cavity filled with air in a casting product