manhole

M3A1N1H4O1L1E1
UK/ˈmænhəʊl/

noun

A hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations.

“For quotations using this term, see Citations:manhole.”

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Meanings

nounmanhole (plural manholes)

plural manholes · alternative man hole · alternative man-hole

  1. A hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations.

    The king had scarce ceased to writhe, When hate gave a terrible laugh, Like a manhole opened to Hell.

    1936, Robert Frost, “The Vindictives”, in A Further Range
  2. A hole providing access to the inside of a boiler, tank etc.
  3. informalThe anus of man, in a sexual context.

    For quotations using this term, see Citations:manhole.

  4. The vulva or vagina of a trans man.

Origin

From man + hole.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian шахта
  • шахта (šahta)a hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
Chinese Mandarin 沙井, 窨井
  • 沙井 (shājǐng)a hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
  • 窨井 (yìnjǐng)a hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
  • 人孔 (rénkǒng)a hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
Dutch mangat
  • mangata hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
Finnish kulkuaukko, katukaivo
  • kulkuaukkoa hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
  • katukaivoa hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
French regard d'égout, trou d'homme
  • regard d'égouta hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
  • trou d'hommea hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
German Mannloch, Kontrollschacht
  • Mannlocha hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
  • Kontrollschachta hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
  • Einstiegslocha hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
  • Gullya hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
Icelandic mannop, mannsmuga
  • mannopa hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
  • mannsmugaa hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
Indonesian lubang got, lubang pengerjaan
  • lubang gota hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
  • lubang pengerjaana hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
  • lubang oranga hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
  • tutup parita hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
  • tutupan selokana hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
Irish dúnpholl
  • dúnpholla hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
Italian tombino
  • tombinoa hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
Japanese マンホール, 人孔
  • マンホール (manhōru)a hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
  • 人孔 (jinkō)a hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
Korean 맨홀
  • 맨홀 (maenhol)a hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
Malay lubang orang, lurang
  • lubang oranga hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
  • luranga hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
Norwegian Bokmål kum, mannhull
  • kuma hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
  • mannhulla hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
Polish właz
  • właza hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
Portuguese bueiro, poço de visita
  • bueiroa hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
  • poço de visitaa hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
Russian люк, лаз
  • люк (ljuk)a hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
  • лаз (laz)a hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
Spanish (boca de) alcantarilla
  • (boca de) alcantarillaa hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
Swedish gatubrunn, manhål
  • gatubrunna hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
  • manhåla hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
Tagalog embornal
  • embornala hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
Turkish rögar
  • rögara hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
Ukrainian люк
  • люк (ljuk)a hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations
Welsh twll archwilio
  • twll archwilioa hole in the ground used to access the sewers or other underground vaults and installations

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Holeman
Cite this entry
APA

manhole. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/manhole

MLA

“manhole.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/manhole. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “manhole,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/manhole.

Source: manhole on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.