orifices
The plural of "orifice" is orifices.
Most English nouns form the plural by adding -s, and orifice follows this rule.
Meaning: an opening, especially in the body (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Use a plural verb with orifices: the orifices are. The possessive plural adds only an apostrophe: orifices'.
How do you pronounce it?
orifice is pronounced /ˈɒɹɪfɪs/. The plural ending sounds like /ɪz/, so the plural has one more syllable than the singular.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use an apostrophe to make a plural. orifices means more than one, while an apostrophe shows that something belongs to someone.
Did you know?
- The -s plural goes back to the Old English ending -as, which belonged to only one group of nouns, as in stānas, "stones". By the end of the Middle Ages it had spread to almost every noun.
Examples in context
- The pipe has two orifices.Singular: The pipe has one orifice.
- The orifices were blocked.Singular: The orifice was blocked.
