blowhole

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“
In quiet weather the blowhole is a deep well; in storm it plays a fountain as the waves drive through the long tunnel below and spout their spray high in air in successive jets.

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Definitions (6)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. noun An opening or one of a pair of openings for breathing, located on the top of the head of cetaceans, such as whales and dolphins. The blowhole is opened by muscles upon surfacing and closed by the pressure of water upon diving.
  2. noun A hole in ice to which aquatic mammals, such as dolphins, come to breathe.
  3. noun A vent to permit the escape of air or other gas.

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Examples (50)

  • Then there was a soft spray of water from a blowhole, and one of the monsters surfaced It was Curious, the most playful and fun-loving of the monsters; I'd know his wrinkled whiskery face anywhere. —  Analog, April 2002
  • There were swells, about five feet high, with tiny whitecaps on them, and it was hard to hold the dolphin upright so the blowhole was above water. —  Analog July, 1974
  • Sport sank down and emitted a stream of bubbles from his blowhole, culminating in a bubble-ring Now Ian hits MISTY DESCRIBE. —  Analog Science Fiction and Fact, January 2002
  • The killer whale shudders, spouts from its blowhole, and strains on. —  F ;SF; - vol 086 issue 04 - April 1994
  • The dolphin let out a little blowhole-snort of laughter. —  Diane Duane - Star Trek : The Next Generation - Dark Mirror
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