Skip to the word

Added 10 October 2026

nostril

/ˈnɒs.tɹɪl/ noun

In Latin: nāris Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about nostril at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Either one of the two external openings to the nasal cavity in the nose.

Origin

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”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word