oillet

O1I1L1L1E1T1

noun

A round hole or circle with which an opening for an arrowslit terminates.

OriginFrench œillet ← Latin oculum →
Scrabble 6
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Meanings

nounoillet (plural oillets)

plural oillets · alternative oylet

  1. medieval architectureA round hole or circle with which an opening for an arrowslit terminates.

    Entertaining myself with such reflections as these, I had walked perhaps half a league (halting from time to time to spy out both public halls and private apartments through the oillets the place provided) when I stumbled over the body of an assassin.

    1987, Gene Wolfe, chapter XLI, in The Urth of the New Sun, 1st US edition, New York: Tor Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 244

Origin

  1. Latinoculum
  2. Frenchœillet
  3. Englishoillet

Borrowed from French œillet, from œil (“eye”), from Latin oculum, accusative singular of oculus.

More words from French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Elliottollie
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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