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
Brian J. CantwellExamples of blowhole in a Sentence
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The Brooklyn Cyclones, a High-A affiliate of the Mets, have done bobbleheads of George in his Gore-Tex coat, and pulling a golf ball out of a whale’s blowhole while pretending to be a marine biologist.
—Larry Holder, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2025
The researchers say there is room for future studies to find out how exactly these whales can change the structure of bubble rings with their blowholes, presenting certain gestures when interacting with humans.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 6 June 2025
Courtesy of UnCruise Adventures Flexible routes allow detours to observe unusual animal behavior, such as orcas and humpbacks bubble-net feeding, where a lead whale dives below a school of fish and blasts bubbles from their blowhole.
—Uncruise Adventures, AFAR Media, 25 Mar. 2025
During their jam session with Bad Bunny, the group was able to ad-lib an element unique to their hometown: the tale of Jacinto, a farmer who is dragged by his cow into a ocean blowhole, famously known as Jacinto’s pit cave.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025
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Larry Holder, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2025
The researchers say there is room for future studies to find out how exactly these whales can change the structure of bubble rings with their blowholes, presenting certain gestures when interacting with humans.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 6 June 2025
Courtesy of UnCruise Adventures Flexible routes allow detours to observe unusual animal behavior, such as orcas and humpbacks bubble-net feeding, where a lead whale dives below a school of fish and blasts bubbles from their blowhole.
—Uncruise Adventures, AFAR Media, 25 Mar. 2025
During their jam session with Bad Bunny, the group was able to ad-lib an element unique to their hometown: the tale of Jacinto, a farmer who is dragged by his cow into a ocean blowhole, famously known as Jacinto’s pit cave.
—Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 18 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for blowhole
Cite this Entry
“Blowhole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blowhole. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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