orifice (French)
Where does "orifice" come from?
The French word 'orifice' traces back to the Late Latin term 'ōrificium,' which was a compound formed from the roots for 'mouth' and 'to make.' It originally described a literal opening or entrance, a meaning that has remained remarkably stable as the word transitioned from Latin into the French language.
Updated May 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris