loophole

Definition

A slit in a castle wall; today, any similar window for shooting a ranged weapon or letting in light.

Etymology

From Middle English loupe (“opening in a wall”) + hole, from a Germanic source. Compare Medieval Latin loupa, lobia and Middle Dutch lupen (“to watch”).

Example Sentences

• "[…] and having a fair loophole, as it were, from a broken hole in the tree, he took a sure aim, without being seen, waiting till they were within about thirty yards of the tree, so that he could not miss."
• "There was a loophole in this wall, to let the light in, just at the height of a person's head, who was sitting near the chimney."
• "The sun had shifted round, and the myriad windows of the Ministry of Truth, with the light no longer shining on them, looked grim as the loopholes of a fortress."