air port

Noun

air port (plural air ports)

1. An opening in the side of a ship to let in air and light.
   • About 12 feet from the stern, and 4 feet above the water line, one 5-inch or 6-inch projectile pierced the plating at an angle of about 45° from the stern. This projectile came out through an air port on the starboard side, as observed before the vessel sank.1898, Annual Reports of the Navy Department for the Fiscal Year, page 590
   • As a result of experience in World War II, indicating that air ports and their covers are likely to be badly damaged by explosions of projectiles and bombs, many air ports have been removed from ships in commission and omitted from ships under construction.1950, “Hull Fittings” (chapter 12), in Bureau of Ships Manual