Nozzle

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈnɒzəl/

Definitions

1. A spout or outlet attached to a pipe or hose that controls the flow and direction of liquid or gas
2. A device positioned at the end of a tube or hose that governs the direction and flow of liquid or gas
3. A device at the termination of a pipe or hose that regulates the release and direction of fluid or gas

Etymology: "Nozzle" is a diminutive of "nose". In Middle English, "noselle" meant a little nose, and the same small-nose image carried over to the spout at the end of a pipe or hose. The suffix "-le" is the same diminutive ending found in words like "kernel" (a little corn) and "bushel" in its older sense of a small box, so the word is essentially a pipe that has been given a tiny snout. The Russian "soplo" (сопло), which means a nozzle or jet, is a similar-sounding word that does not share this history. It is related to "sopet'", meaning to whistle or snort through the nose, so both languages reached for the nose as the image for an outlet that directs a stream of air or liquid.

Synonyms: spout, funnel, tip