1. A hole to admit or discharge air; specifically, a spot in the ice not frozen over. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Founding) A fault in a casting, produced by a bubble of air; a blowhole. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Aëronautics) A local region in the atmosphere having a downward movement and offering less than normal support for the sustaining surfaces of a flying machine, causing an airplane to drop suddenly. Same as air pocket. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ Arm + hole. ] 1. The cavity under the shoulder; the armpit. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A hole for the arm in a garment. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. execretory opening at the end of the alimentary canal.
Syn. -- anus, arse, asshole [ WordNet 1.5 ]

A dungeon or dark cell in a prison; a military lock-up or guardroom; -- now commonly with allusion to the cell (the Black Hole) in a fort at Calcutta (called the Black Hole of Calcutta), into which 146 English prisoners were thrust by the nabob Suraja Dowla on the night of June 20, 1765, and in which 123 of the prisoners died before morning from lack of air. [ 1913 Webster ]

A discipline of unlimited autocracy, upheld by rods, and ferules, and the black hole. H. Spencer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Physics, Astron.) An astronomical object whose mass is so condensed that the gravitational force does not allow anything, even light, to escape from its outer limit (the event horizon). The existence of such objects was first proposed from theoretical considerations. Because light cannot escape from such objects, they have not yet been detected with certainty (1998), but several "candidates" have been observed whose properties strongly suggest that they are black holes. Some theorists suggest that the centers of many galaxies may have large black holes at their cores. See also escape velocity. [ PJC ]

3. [ from the astronomical black hole. ] a place into which things may enter, but can never emerge. [ Fig., Jocose ] "He was so disorganized his office was a black hole." [ PJC ]

n. 1. A cavern in a cliff, at the water level, opening to the air at its farther extremity, so that the waters rush in with each surge and rise in a lofty jet from the extremity. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A nostril or spiracle in the top of the head of a whale or other cetacean. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ There are two spiracles or blowholes in the common whales, but only one in sperm whales, porpoises, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A hole in the ice to which whales, seals, etc., come to breathe. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Founding) An air hole in a casting. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (mining) a hole or passage made by a drill, especially one made for exploratory purposes.
Syn. -- bore, drill hole. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. See Bung, n., 2. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The hole or loop in which a button is caught. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To hold at the button or buttonhole; to detain in conversation to weariness; to bore; as, he buttonholed me a quarter of an hour. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Naut.) One of two small holes astern, above the gunroom ports, through which hawsers may be passed. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. cholh` bile + &unr_; bladder. ] (Anat.) The gall bladder. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cholecystis + Gr. te`mnein to cut. ] (Surg.) The operation of making an opening in the gall bladder, as for the removal of a gallstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. cholh` bile + -logy. Cf. F. cholédologie. ] (Med.) A treatise on the bile and bilary organs. Dunglison. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Littré says that the word cholédologie is absolutely barbarous, there being no Greek word &unr_;. A proper form would be cholology. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Physiol. Chem.) Pertaining to, or obtained from, bile; as, choleic acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. coler, F. colère anger, L. cholera a bilious complaint, fr. Gr. &unr_; cholera, fr. &unr_;, cholh`, bile. See Gall, and cf. Cholera. ] 1. The bile; -- formerly supposed to be the seat and cause of irascibility. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

His [ Richard Hooker's ] complexion . . . was sanguine, with a mixture of choler; and yet his motion was slow. I. Warton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Irritation of the passions; anger; wrath. [ 1913 Webster ]

He is rash and very sudden in choler. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L., a bilious disease. See Choler. ] (Med.) One of several diseases affecting the digestive and intestinal tract and more or less dangerous to life, esp. the one commonly called Asiatic cholera. [ 1913 Webster ]

Asiatic cholera, a malignant and rapidly fatal disease, originating in Asia and frequently epidemic in the more filthy sections of other lands, to which the germ or specific poison may have been carried. It is characterized by diarrhea, rice-water evacuations, vomiting, cramps, pinched expression, and lividity, rapidly passing into a state of collapse, followed by death, or by a stage of reaction of fever. --
Cholera bacillus. See Comma bacillus. --
Cholera infantum, a dangerous summer disease, of infants, caused by hot weather, bad air, or poor milk, and especially fatal in large cities. --
Cholera morbus, a disease characterized by vomiting and purging, with gripings and cramps, usually caused by imprudence in diet or by gastrointestinal disturbance. --
Chicken cholera. See under Chicken. --
Hog cholera. See under Hog. --
Sporadic cholera, a disease somewhat resembling the Asiatic cholera, but originating where it occurs, and rarely becoming epidemic. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Relating to, or resulting from, or resembling, cholera. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. cholericus, Gr. &unr_;: cf. F. cholérique. ] 1. Abounding with, or producing choler, or bile. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Easily irritated; irascible; inclined to anger. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Angry; indicating anger; excited by anger. “Choleric speech.” Sir W. Raleigh. [ 1913 Webster ]

Choleric temperament, the bilious temperament. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a choleric manner; angrily. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cholera + -form. ] Resembling cholera. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Med.) (a) The precursory symptoms of cholera. (b) The first stage of epidemic cholera. (c) A mild form of cholera. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cholera + -oid. ] Choleriform. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. cholestérique. ] Pertaining to cholesterin, or obtained from it; as, cholesteric acid. Ure. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; bile + &unr_; stiff fat: F. cholestérine. See Stearin. ] (Chem.) A white, fatty, crystalline substance, tasteless and odorless, found in animal and plant products and tissue, and especially in nerve tissue, in the bile, and in gallstones. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a pit or hole produced by wear or weathering especially in a road surface.
Syn. -- pothole. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. A hole or retreat into which an animal may creep, to escape notice or danger. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A subterfuge; an excuse. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ See Cub a stall. ] A snug or confined or secluded place; a small room or a snug space within a room.
Syn. -- snuggery, snug. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

n. a small compartment.
Syn. -- pigeonhole. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n. (Zool.) A fierce, wild dog (Canis Dukhunensis), found in the mountains of India. It is remarkable for its propensity to hunt the tiger and other wild animals in packs. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A place fit only for dogs; a vile, mean habitation or apartment. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Without echo or response. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A circular opening to recive a hook, cord, ring, or rope; an eyelet. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Mil.) a small pit in the ground for individual shelter against enemy fire.
Syn. -- fox hole. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. See Ghoul. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Steam Boilers) A small hole in a boiler for the insertion of the hand in cleaning, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hand-hole plate, the cover of a hand-hole. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a hole in the bow of a ship, through which the anchor rope or cable passes.
Syn. -- hawse, hawsepipe. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ See Whole. ] 1. Having the heart or affections free; not in love. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. With unbroken courage; undismayed. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Of a single and sincere heart; with unconditional commitment or unstinting devotion; as, heart-whole friendship. [ wns=1 ]
Syn. -- wholehearted. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

If he keeps heart-whole towards his Master. Bunyan. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Hickwall. ] (Zool.) The European green woodpecker. See Yaffle. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To go or get into a hole. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ AS. holian. See Hole, n. ] 1. To cut, dig, or bore a hole or holes in; as, to hole a post for the insertion of rails or bars. Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To drive into a hole, as an animal, or a billiard ball. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Whole. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. hol, hole, AS. hol, hole, cavern, from hol, a., hollow; akin to D. hol, OHG. hol, G. hohl, Dan. huul hollow, hul hole, Sw. hål, Icel. hola; prob. from the root of AS. helan to conceal. See Hele, Hell, and cf. Hold of a ship. ] 1. A hollow place or cavity; an excavation; a pit; an opening in or through a solid body, a fabric, etc.; a perforation; a rent; a fissure. [ 1913 Webster ]

The holes where eyes should be. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

The blind walls
Were full of chinks and holes. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

The priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the lid. 2 Kings xii. 9. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An excavation in the ground, made by an animal to live in, or a natural cavity inhabited by an animal; hence, a low, narrow, or dark lodging or place; a mean habitation. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

The foxes have holes, . . . but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. Luke ix. 58.

3. (Games) (a) A small cavity used in some games, usually one into which a marble or ball is to be played or driven; hence, a score made by playing a marble or ball into such a hole, as in golf. (b) (Fives) At Eton College, England, that part of the floor of the court between the step and the pepperbox. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

Syn. -- Hollow; concavity; aperture; rent; fissure; crevice; orifice; interstice; perforation; excavation; pit; cave; den; cell. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hole and corner, clandestine, underhand. [ Colloq. ] “The wretched trickery of hole and corner buffery.” Dickens. --
Hole board (Fancy Weaving), a board having holes through which cords pass which lift certain warp threads; -- called also compass board. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Aëronautics) same as Air hole, above; an air pocket. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. Of or pertaining to a holethnos or parent race. [ 1913 Webster ]

The holethnic history of the Arians. London Academy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Holo + Gr. &unr_; race. ] A parent stock or race of people, not yet divided into separate branches or tribes. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. having pores or holes.
Syn. -- porous. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. A hole or apertupe in a door or lock, for receiving a key. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (a) (Carp.) A hole or excavation in beams intended to be joined together, to receive the key which fastens them. (b) (Mach.) a mortise for a key or cotter. [ 1913 Webster ]

Keyhole limpet (Zool.), a marine gastropod of the genus Fissurella and allied genera. See Fissurella. --
Keyhole saw, a narrow, slender saw, used in cutting keyholes, etc., as in doors; a kind of compass saw or fret saw. --
Keyhole urchin (Zool.), any one of numerous clypeastroid sea urchins, of the genera Melitta, Rotula, and Encope; -- so called because they have one or more perforations resembling keyholes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The mouth or opening of an oven or kiln. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. (Mil.) A small opening, as in the walls of fortification, or in the bulkhead of a ship, through which small arms or other weapons may be discharged at an enemy. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A hole or aperture that gives a passage, or the means of escape or evasion. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An amibiguity or unintended omission in a law, rule, regulation, or contract which allows a party to circumvent the intent of the text and avoid its obligations under certain circumstances. -- used usually in a negative sense; -- distinguished from escape clause in that the latter usually is included to deliberately allow evasion of obligation under certain specified and foreseen circumstances; as, a loophole in the law big enough to drive a truck through. [ PJC ]

a. Provided with loopholes. [ 1913 Webster ]