Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Nautical A small, usually circular window in a ship's side.
  • noun An opening in a fortified wall; an embrasure.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun An aperture in a ship's side, especially one of the apertures through which the guns are protruded and fired.
  • noun The opening to the steam-passages into or from a cylinder, or to the exhaust-passage. See port
  • noun In zoology, one of the minute apertures or cinclides in the body-wall of a sea-anemone through which the gastric filaments or acontia are protruded.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Naut.) An embrasure in a ship's side. See 3d port.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A circular window set in the hull of a ship.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a window in a ship or airplane
  • noun an opening (in a wall or ship or armored vehicle) for firing through

Etymologies

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Examples

  • The porthole is the only thing that didn't get messed up.

    Softpedia - Windows - All Softpedia Mac OS 2010

  • An 80-year-old man on a flight from the Philippine capital of Manila to the island of Cebu attempted to break a porthole window during the flight with his cane and leave the aircraft,

    RIA Novosti 2010

  • Other obstacles included a hanging tire described as a porthole on the Titanic where teams must get all their members through the hole without touching the sides.

    unknown title 2009

  • Other obstacles included a hanging tire described as a porthole on the Titanic where teams must get all their members through the hole without touching the sides.

    unknown title 2009

  • The round thing behind the porthole is a carry point for a life preserver.

    ZRecommends 2009

  • Keeping in mind the timekeeping needs of the ski-buff, Aspen has made a special high quality skiing glove with a "porthole" for a watch.

    Luxurylaunches.com 2010

  • Players can also build custom pirate-themed houses with the new objects that are included in Barnacle Bay, such as porthole doors and windows, wharf and stone fences, and more!

    IGN PC 2010

  • A cellular "porthole" known best for its role in the digestive system apparently has a major role in ...

    THE MEDICAL NEWS 2010

  • The certificate of authenticity features a "porthole;" running across it is a metallic thread that reads "OUR PASSION" and "MICROSOFT" in red.

    Recently Uploaded Slideshows vbdotnetnrew 2010

  • Here for instance is a high quality skiing glove with a "porthole" for your watch.

    Luxist Ariel Adams 2010

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