Definitions

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

  • noun Either of the external openings of the nose; a naris.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun One of the external openings of the nose; a nasal orifice; a naris or narial aperture.
  • noun Scent.

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

  • noun (Anat.) One of the external openings of the nose, which give passage to the air breathed and to secretions from the nose and eyes; one of the anterior nares.
  • noun obsolete Perception; insight; acuteness.

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

  • noun Either of the two orifices located on the nose (or on the beak of a bird); used as a passage for air and other gases to travel the nasal passages.

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

  • noun either one of the two external openings to the nasal cavity in the nose

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English nostrille, from Old English nosthyrl : nosu, nose; see nas- in Indo-European roots + thyrl, hole; see terə- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From nose + thirl.

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Examples

  • It's bleeding a little periodically and my left nostril is totally swollen shut.

    Mohs Nose Woes - Part 1 aka TBTAM 2008

  • My nostril is pulled up a little but he says it'll go down as it heals. for those of you who haven't done it yet, if the the doctor offers you for something for pain, take it!

    Mohs Nose Woes - Part 1 aka TBTAM 2008

  • One nostril is dripping what looks like grape juice onto the cell floor.

    365 tomorrows » 2006 » October : A New Free Flash Fiction SciFi Story Every Day 2006

  • He eyed Mr. Chadber speculatively, holding a pinch of snuff to one thin nostril

    The Black Moth: A Romance of the XVIII Century 1921

  • I think you call it nostril of his nose long, thin, fine.

    The Shagganappi 1913

  • And at least one "nostril" -- never actually visible in the original Viking image -- is plain to be seen; while its origin remains an unanswered question, flatly refuting its existence smacks of a deliberate attempt to "make the Face go away" in the public mind.

    Archive 2006-09-01 Mac 2006

  • It's a small duct that connects the inside corner of the eye to the nostril, which is also why your nose runs when you cry.

    I really want to know. Angry Professor 2006

  • A wrinkle of the nostril was the only answer and a further delay ensued while a message was sent to the Scylla which demanded that His Excellency the Comte de Maquerre be allowed quarters on board the frigate or, preferably, the Vengeance.

    Sharpe's Siege Cornwell, Bernard 1987

  • Inside the aperture of the nostril is a slight dilatation, the vestibule, bounded laterally by the ala and lateral crus of the greater alar cartilage, and medially by the medial crus of the same cartilage.

    X. The Organs of the Senses and the Common Integument. 1b. The Organ of Smell 1918

  • The nostril is the large oval marking directly in front of the eye.

    Animal Figures in the Maya Codices 1915

Comments

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  • "Thou sendest forth the north wind at eventide, and breath from thy nostrils to the satisfaction of thy heart."

    - the Egyptian Book of the Dead

    January 17, 2008

  • and also brains through thy nostrils by means of an iron hook, no?

    January 17, 2008

  • *sigh*. So romantic.

    January 17, 2008

  • This is an icky word. But there's a fascinating nostril discussion over on dirhinic.

    July 29, 2009

  • Originally nosethirl.

    September 8, 2022