Etymology

loophole

loop·hole
L1O1O1P3H4O1L1E1

Today it means: A slit in a castle wall; today, any similar window for shooting a ranged weapon or letting in light. Full definition →

Germanic
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The story

  1. Germanic · derived from
  2. English todayloophole

From Middle English loupe (“opening in a wall”) + hole, from a Germanic source. By surface analysis, loop + hole. Compare Medieval Latin loupa, lobia and Middle Dutch lupen (“to watch”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.