nozzle

American  

[noz-uhl] / ˈnɒz əl /

noun

1. a projecting spout, terminal discharging pipe, or the like, as of a hose or bellows.

2. Slang. the nose.

3. the spout of a teapot.

4. the socket of a candlestick.

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nozzle British  

/ ˈnɒzəl /

noun

1. a projecting pipe or spout from which fluid is discharged

2. Also called: propelling nozzle.  a pipe or duct, esp in a jet engine or rocket, that directs the effluent and accelerates or diffuses the flow to generate thrust

3. a socket, such as the part of a candlestick that holds the candle

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Etymology

Origin of nozzle

1600–10; earlier nosle; see nose, -le

Explanation

A nozzle is the spout at the end of a hose that water flows through. Any kind of fluid — oil, gasoline — can move through a tube and squirt out of a nozzle, but we usually think of water in a hose, with the nozzle controlling the spray. The root of nozzle is nose, which — if you use a little imagination — describes the shape of most nozzles.

Example Sentences

And, finally, to create a further barrier for germs, he suggests directing the air nozzle between you and the person next to you.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 5, 2025

So depending on the contents, you could have a pump, a squeeze top, spray nozzle, screw top lid or other options.

From BBC • Jul. 28, 2025

Like water spraying through a narrow nozzle, the winds are accelerated as they enter the canyons, often reaching gale-force strength by the time they exit into Los Angeles and San Bernardino.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 27, 2024

Social media platforms have had a mercurial relationship with publishers, too, funneling readers to news sites before turning down the nozzle to a slow drip.

From Slate • Jun. 3, 2024

She holds the nozzle away from her body like it’s a hose of acid rain.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

Related Words

• faucet
• spigot