noseholes
Nostrils, said plain and a little funny.
Also called nose holes, nostrils.
Updated September 24, 2026
noseholes pronunciation
/NOHZ-hohlz/
Meaning
The holes in your nose. Rural Southern and Appalachian talk likes straight compound names for body parts, and noseholes is the kitchen-table version of nostrils. Kids hear it first; plenty of adults still use it when they're teasing, wiping a dirty face, or telling somebody something's hanging out of there.
How folks use it
- “Hold still. You got something stuck in your noseholes.”
- “That cold has my noseholes stopped up something fierce.”
Origin and etymology
A transparent compound of nose plus holes. English has used nosehole for nostril in plain speech for a long time; Southern and Appalachian mouths kept the plural noseholes as everyday talk instead of the doctor-word nostrils.