porthole

noun

port·​hole ˈpȯrt-ˌhōl 

1

: an opening (such as a window) with a cover or closure especially in the side of a ship or aircraft

2

: a port through which to shoot

3

: port entry 2 sense 2

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

The lower level, which has been named the Barnacle, features porthole windows that continue to the marine theme. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 13 Jan. 2023

These days the flight experience generally means hunching in a narrow seat, nibbling on a bag of pretzels, and straining to glimpse the sky through a tiny porthole. —Discover Magazine, 31 May 2012

The porthole window in the archway matched the circular opening in the crown. —Curbed, 2 Nov. 2022

But, like the later human Mercury astronauts, Ham could have seen out of the capsule’s small porthole window. —Eric Betz, Discover Magazine, 21 Apr. 2020

In the restaurant, Mr. Djiba jumped out of a porthole and plunged into the ocean. —Elian Peltier, New York Times, 25 Sep. 2022

In the restaurant, Djiba jumped out of a porthole and plunged into the ocean. —Elian Peltier, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Sep. 2022

Staring out the porthole, Piccard and Kipfer became the first humans to see the curvature of the Earth. —Ben Taub, The New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2022

According to Walsh, Piccard switched on the exterior lights and peered through the only porthole—a thick cone of glass, the diameter of a quarter—into the blackness. —Ben Taub, The New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2022

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Word History

Etymology

port entry 2

First Known Use

1569, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

porthole

noun

port·​hole ˈpōrt-ˌhōl 

ˈpȯrt-

1

: an opening in the side of a ship or aircraft

2

: an opening to shoot through