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spiracle |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.02 sec. |
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spiracle 1. any of several paired apertures in the cuticle of an insect, by which air enters and leaves the trachea 2. a small paired rudimentary gill slit just behind the head in skates, rays, and related fishes 3. any similar respiratory aperture, such as the blowhole in whales 4. Geology a protrusion of sediment into a lava flow, formed by the explosive transition of water into steam spiracle [′spir·ə·kəl] (invertebrate zoology) An external breathing orifice of the tracheal system in insects and certain arachnids. (vertebrate zoology) The external respiratory orifice in cetaceous and amphibian larvae. The first visceral cleft in fishes. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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| 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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