glory hole
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A hole in a mineshaft where an orebody is mined upwards until it breaks through the surface into the open air.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
glawreehohlSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈɡlɔɹiˈhoʊl
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
mining
A hole in a mineshaft where an orebody is mined upwards until it breaks through the surface into the open air.
glassblowing
A hole in the side of a furnace used to heat glass held on a metal rod.
A bell-mouth spillway; a spillway (a structure in the reservoir above a dam that allows overflowing water to be released in a controlled fashion) that is shaped like an upside-down bell, thereby giving the appearance of a hole in the surface of the water.
The stewards' mess on a passenger liner.
The stokehold on a coal-burning tramp steamer.
A generally untidy place.
verb
To mine using a glory hole.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A hole in a mineshaft where an orebody is mined upwards until it breaks through the surface into the open air.
Used this way, glory hole is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
Share your sentence
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Keep learning “glory hole” by choosing the kind of practice you need next.
- Practice sentence writingWrite sentences with vocabulary and get instant feedback.
- Practice in contextAnswer short vocabulary questions drawn from real situations.
- Review vocabularyTest your recall and strengthen words over time.
- Practice typingType vocabulary in short rounds that draw from words you've learned and saved.
Want to type words like this one without looking at the keyboard? Each typing round draws from words you've learned, saved or need to review. Follow the free Learn to Type lessons and type your own vocabulary with confidence.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.