thole

n : a device attached to the gunwale of a boat that holds the

oar in place and acts as a fulcrum for rowing [syn: {peg},

{pin}, {tholepin}, {rowlock}, {oarlock}]

hole

The absence of an {electron} in a

{semiconductor} material. In the {electron model}, a hole can

be thought of as an incomplete outer electron shell in a

doping substance. Holes can also be thought of as positive

charge carriers; while this is in a sense a fiction, it is a

useful abstraction.

(1995-10-06)