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spiracle

   Also found in: Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.07 sec.
spir·a·cle  (spr-kl, spr-)
n.
1. Zoology A respiratory aperture, especially:
a. Any of several tracheal openings in the exoskeleton of an insect or a spider.
b. A small respiratory opening behind the eye of certain fishes, such as sharks, rays, and skates.
c. The blowhole of a cetacean.
2. An aperture or opening through which air is admitted and expelled.

[Middle English, from Latin sprculum, from sprre, to breathe.]

spi·racu·lar (sp-rky-lr, sp-) adj.

spiracle [spire-a-kl]
Noun
Zool a small blowhole for breathing through, such as that of a whale [Latin spiraculum vent]

spiracle  (spr-kl, spr-)
An opening through which certain animals breathe, such as the blowhole of a whale or one of the openings in the exoskeleton of an insect.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.spiraclespiracle - a breathing orifice                  
orifice, porta, opening - an aperture or hole that opens into a bodily cavity; "the orifice into the aorta from the lower left chamber of the heart"
blowhole - the spiracle of a cetacean located far back on the skull
stigma - an external tracheal aperture in a terrestrial arthropod


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
And all the while, jet after jet of white smoke was agonizingly shot from the spiracle of the whale, and vehement puff after puff from the mouth of the excited headsman; as at every dart, hauling in upon his crooked lance (by the line attached to it), Stubb straightened it again and again, by a few rapid blows against the gunwale, then again and again sent it into the whale.
Foolish, whenever you take the meanness and formality of that thing you do, instead of converting it into the obedient spiracle of your character and aims.
If you stand on its summit and look at these two f-shaped spout-holes, you would take the whole head for an enormous bass-viol, and these spiracles, the apertures in its sounding-board.
 
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