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Dictionary » O » Orifices

Orifices

orifices

noun, plural of orifice

Openings or apertures; any external opening in the body of an animal

In a typical mammalian body such as the human body, the body orifices are: nostrils, eyes, mouth, ear canals, anus, urethra, vagina, orifices of nipples, orifices of sweat glands, navel.

Other animals may have some other body orifices: cloaca in birds, reptiles, amphibians, and some other animals, and siphon in mollusca, arthropods, and some other animals.

Word origin: Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin orificium, compound of os, mouth + -ficium.


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