manhole

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From man +‎ hole.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈmænhəʊl/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Noun

manhole (plural manholes)

  1. A hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations.
    • 1936, Robert Frost, “The Vindictives”, in A Further Range:
      The king had scarce ceased to writhe,
      When hate gave a terrible laugh,
      Like a manhole opened to Hell.
  2. A hole providing access to the inside of a boiler, tank etc.
  3. (informal) The anus of man, in a sexual context.
    • For quotations using this term, see Citations:manhole.
  4. (LGBTQ) The vulva or vagina of a trans man.

Usage notes

  • In contexts such as government documents where gendered terms are avoided, this has mostly been replaced by maintenance hole.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

References

  • Fielding, Lucie (2021) Trans Sex: Clinical Approaches to Trans Sexualities and Erotic Embodiments, New York: Routledge, →ISBN, page 96

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