# loophole

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈluːphəʊl/ · frequency rank #21,264

## Definitions
1. A slit in a castle wall; today, any similar window for shooting a ranged weapon or letting in light.
2. A method of escape, especially an ambiguity or exception in a rule or law that can be exploited in order to avoid its effect.

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

## Common misspellings (11)
`lloophole`, `loohpole`, `loophhole`, `loophloe`, `loophoel`, `loopholle`, `loopohle`, `loopphole`, `lophole`, `lopohole`, `olophole`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/loophole