blowhole

noun

blow·​hole ˈblō-ˌhōl 

plural blowholes

1

: a hole in metal caused by a bubble of gas captured during solidification

2

: a nostril in the top of the head of a cetacean and especially a whale

3

: a hole or fissure in rocks along a shore through which incoming waves force air to rush upward or water to spout intermittently

The blowhole is in a place where ocean waves marching in from the north have undercut a lava shelf and carved a tire-sized hole so that surf can spout up like a Yellowstone geyser.

—Brian J. Cantwell

Examples of blowhole in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The beluga’s melon — the rounded structure at the top of its head that sits just in front of the blowhole —can change shape when the whale makes noise. — Pat Mueller, USA Today, 20 July 2026

One even pulled me around a lagoon like a Jet Ski with a blowhole. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026

Next up is Boka Kalki, which has a lovely beach, and finally, Boka Pistol, which is famous for the water that explosively shoots out from a small blowhole in the rock. — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2026

Every so often, a spray of water exploded from its blowhole. — Jessica Camille Aguirre, New Yorker, 2 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1691, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for blowhole

• bankroll
• bedroll
• borehole
• cajole
• catchpole
• charcoal
• condole
• control
• dipole
• downhole
• enroll
• extol

Kids Definition

blowhole

noun

blow·​hole -ˌhōl 

1

: a nostril in the top of the head of a whale or related animal

2

: a hole in the ice to which aquatic mammals (as seals) come to breathe