Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “nostril” come from?

Nostril comes from Middle English nostril, from Old English nosþȳrel, a compound of nos (nose) and þȳrel (hole).

nostril (English): Either of the two orifices located on the nose ;...

Definitions

  1. Either of the two orifices located on the nose ;...

Ancestry of “nostril”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishnostrille—
2Old Englishnosþyrel—
3Old Englishnosunose
4Proto-Germanic*nosu—

Words derived from “nostril”

  • nostriled
  • nostrilled
  • nostrilful
  • internostril
Every word from Proto-Germanic *nosu →