nostril

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   Either of the two openings at the bottom of the nose, used for breathing and smelling.

   He breathed in deeply through both nostrils.

Simplified etymology

Nostril comes from Old English nosterl or nosthyrl, literally “nose hole.” It was formed from nosu “nose” and thyrl “hole.”

From Middle English nostrille, from Old English nosþyrel. Compare Old Frisian nosterle (“nostril”), modern West Frisian noaster (“nostrill”). Compare also Middle Low German noster (“nostril”), from Proto-Germanic *nustriz (“nostril”). By surface analysis, nose + thirl (“hole”).

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary