air portn.1
/ˈɛː pɔːt/, U.S. /ˈɛr ˌpɔrt/ A porthole in a ship for ventilation; (also) an aperture for admitting air in a gas burner.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > parts of vessels > other parts of body of vessel > [noun] > opening in side of vessel > for light air
air-scuttle1748
air port1784
porthole1792
port1910
1784 J. Green Jrnl. 20 Apr. in Amer. Neptune (1950) 10 102 Carpenter fitting ye Eare ports.
1788 A. Falconbridge Acct. Slave Trade 24 Most of the ships..are provided, between the decks, with five or six air-ports on each side of the ship.
1867 W. H. Smyth & E. Belcher Sailor's Word-bk. 28 Air-ports, large scuttles in ships' bows for the admission of air, when the other ports are down.
1944 Gloss. Terms Gas Ind. (B.S.I.) 33 Air port, the aperture in an aerated burner adjacent to the injector through which primary air is admitted to the mixing tube.
1999 Essent. Gas Safety May xii. 170/2 The safety device must be kept dust/lint free around its air port and injector. The thermocouple tip must be located correctly for full flame contact.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2008; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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