Meanings
nounoarhole (plural oarholes)
plural oarholes · alternative oar-hole
- nauticala slot or opening in the side of a galley or ship through which an oar is fitted
Oarholes were sealed when not in use by wooden covers that rotated in place to keep out water. A slot cut into the oarhole allowed the blade of the oar to pass through the oarhole so oars could be deployed entirely inboard of the ship.
2016, William R. Short, Icelanders in the Viking Age
Origin
- Middle Englishore hol
- Englishoarhole
From Middle English ore hol, equivalent to oar + hole.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
oarhole. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oarhole
MLA
“oarhole.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oarhole. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “oarhole,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oarhole.
Source: oarhole on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.