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You are here: Home / Language / Where Did the Word “Loophole” Come From and What Does the Term Mean?

Where Did the Word “Loophole” Come From and What Does the Term Mean?

July 18, 2020 by Karen Hill

Loops were originally holes in the thick stone walls of a medieval fortress.

Some of these holes were small and used for observation.

Others were slits that widened on the inside, enabling an archer to safely shoot out arrows during a siege.

Finally, these walls had larger, hidden loops or openings through which it was possible to escape during a losing battle.

These escape “loopholes” gave us the modern meaning of the word.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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