orifice

noun

or·​i·​fice ˈȯr-ə-fəs How to pronounce orifice (audio)
ˈär-
: an opening (such as a vent, mouth, or hole) through which something may pass
an anatomical orifice
the nozzle orifice
the cone built up from the cinders around the eruption orificeR. H. Mohlenbrock
orificial adjective

Examples of orifice in a Sentence

the mouth is a bodily orifice
Recent Examples on the Web However, in Dune: Part Two, small orifices of some description can be seen beneath the scales of the worms when they are pulled up by hooks. Popular Science, 6 Mar. 2024 Vomit is spewed, drugs are shoved in bodily orifices, threesomes are had with professional basketball players. Devan Coggan, EW.com, 6 July 2023 Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever Like Ebola and Marburg, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic illness that can cause bleeding from bodily orifices. Erin Prater, Fortune Well, 12 Jan. 2024 This male individual has selected a small cylindrical container, likely filled with life-sustaining H2O, and is tilting it expertly towards his intake orifice. Benj Edwards, Ars Technica, 16 Nov. 2023 In December 2022, a blogger on Defector listed some of the specific foreign objects found in the CPSC database, classified by orifice. Melissa Rudy, Fox News, 5 Nov. 2023 Knives and carcasses and dark orifices exist in otherworldly spaces. E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 14 July 2023 This is the kind of movie where, at any moment, the editor might throw in an insert shot of an oozing orifice, keeping viewers on their toes. Noel Murray, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2023 Another unique anatomical feature is that during these females’ juvenile stage, the vaginal orifice remains closed. Alejandra Manjarrez, Discover Magazine, 28 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'orifice.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French & Late Latin; Middle French, from Late Latin orificium, from Latin or-, os mouth + facere to make, do — more at oral, do

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of orifice was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near orifice

Cite this Entry

“Orifice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orifice. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

orifice

noun
or·​i·​fice ˈȯr-ə-fəs How to pronounce orifice (audio)
ˈär-
: an opening (as a mouth or hole) through which something may pass

Medical Definition

orifice

noun
or·​i·​fice ˈȯr-ə-fəs, ˈär- How to pronounce orifice (audio)
: an opening through which something may pass
orificial adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on orifice

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