From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmanholeman‧hole /ˈmænhəʊl $ -hoʊl/ noun [countable] TTRa hole in the surface of a road covered by a lid. It is used to examine underground pipes, wires etc.
Examples from the Corpus
manhole• His head said not even his faithful border collie could survive a horror like falling down a manhole.• Here was a manhole down which to stuff the bodies.• You may be surprised how impressed some buyers and their surveyors will be with a good clean manhole!• At First Avenue the crosswalk is blocked by a Con Ed van and an open manhole cover encircled by yellow rubber cones.• Their story was an open manhole he could do nothing to close.• Meanwhile the villagers crowded to peer down the open manhole as though it were an interesting accident.• Wearing hip boots and overalls that are water-resistant but not waterproof, he is lowered from a tripod that straddles the manhole.• It should flow easily, though not too swiftly, through the manholes, without let or hindrance. 