Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
manhole [man-hohl] ExamplesWord Origin noun
- a hole, usually with a cover, through which a person may enter a sewer, drain, steam boiler, etc., especially one located in a city street.
Origin of manhole First recorded in 1785–95; man1 + hole Examples from the Web for manhole Contemporary Examples of manhole
One of the primary reasons the FMCSA gave for the shutdown was the manhole cover incident.
The Government’s Cheap, Dishonest Campaign Against the Chinatown Bus Industry
Jim Epstein
November 2, 2013
From the modern chastity belt to a bag that disguises as a manhole, Soraya Roberts on the growing trend of protective fashion.
From the Anti-Rape Bra to Chastity Belts: How Women Use Clothing for Protection
Soraya Roberts
June 5, 2013
She also designed an emergency “manhole bag,” a flat purse that could be thrown on the ground to double as a sewer.
From the Anti-Rape Bra to Chastity Belts: How Women Use Clothing for Protection
Soraya Roberts
June 5, 2013
The only escape available to him appears in the form of a manhole, through which he escapes underground.
American Nightmare: Ralph Ellison’s ‘Invisible Man’ at 60
Nathaniel Rich
June 28, 2012
Historical Examples of manhole
“There is a manhole of some sort,” the electrical wizard exclaimed.
Astounding Stories of Super-Science, March 1930
Various
It was empty then, and its manhole was the foremost one in the alleyway.
Joseph Conrad
Carr hissed in Ora’s ear as his fingers found the rim of the manhole.
Harl Vincent
A manhole had to be put in the top and a sump in the bottom.
Halbert P. Gillette
If I served you right, I would drop you through the manhole, just to wake you up.
S. E. Chapman
British Dictionary definitions for manhole manhole noun
- Also called: inspection chamber a shaft with a removable cover that leads down to a sewer or drain
- a hole, usually with a detachable cover, through which a man can enter a boiler, tank, etc
Word Origin and History for manhole n.
also man-hole, “hole through which a person may pass,” 1793, from man (n.) + hole (n.).