blowhole

Examples

• All

• There's a huge hiss as the whale vents stale air from its blowhole.

  Fiction book (1994)

• The killer whale shudders, spouts from its blowhole, and strains on.

  Fiction book (1994)

• The high blowhole, neck, and broad back are characteristic of this species.

  Academic text (1995)

• Along the way, the dolphin nose was modified into a blowhole.

  Academic text (2002)

• Some of the air they inhale through their blowhole is routed into their lungs while the rest enters a complex sound producing system.

• "And animals with blowholes don't have gills, either."

  Fiction book (1999)

• The whistles were accompanied by tiny bubbles emanating from the blowhole on the top of the calf's head.

  Academic text (1992)

• The blowhole opens and WHOOSH, out shoots a geyser of fine spray which settles on Chuck in a mist.

  Fiction book (2000)

• In modern cetaceans, the nasal opening is called the blowhole, and it is located on the forehead, allowing the animal to surface and breathe while in a horizontal position in the water (Figure 9).

  Academic text (2001)

• Caddy swam closer and blew a spume of water from her blowhole; Tegan smiled in delight.

  Fiction book (1998)

Synonyms

N

nostril

vsblowhole

72 1.0

One of the two small openings in the nose that let air in and out

is a single top-of-head opening used by whales and dolphins

S

spiracle

vsblowhole

• Specialized

1 9.3

A small opening on some animals that lets them breathe

is found only on whales and dolphins at the top of the head

A

air hole

vsblowhole

1 2.4

A small hole that lets air move through for breathing or ventilation

is an anatomical top-of-head breathing opening found on whales and dolphins

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology