loophole

Pronunciation: /ˈluːphəʊl/

The English word “loophole” has 4 meanings listed here.

noun

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

verb

To prepare a building for defense by preparing slits or holes through which to fire on attackers
To exploit (a law, etc.) by means of loopholes.

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”).

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.