knothole

knot +‎ hole.

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knothole (plural knotholes)

1. In a piece of lumber, a void left by a knot in the wood; such holes are often convenient for peering through when they occur in fences.
   • 1893, Ambrose Bierce, Can Such Things Be‎, archived from the original on 11 August 2014:

     Looking in the same direction, I saw that the knothole in the wall had indeed become a human eye -- a full, black eye, that glared into my own with an entire lack of expression more awful than the most devilish glitter.

   • 1987, Richard Miller, Gregory L. Rhodes, “The Life and Times of the Old Cincinnati Ballparks”, in Queen City Heritage‎, volume 45, number 2, Cincinnati Historical Society, pages 25–41:

     These city-owned parks, regal concrete crowns with acres of parking lots and nary a knothole to peek through, are a definite swing away from the democratic character of the earlier ballparks.

   • 2012, Stephen King, 11/22/63, page 836:

     Besides, there's an old saying: peek not through a knothole, lest ye be vexxed.

2. (Cincinnati, sports, attributive) Youth league baseball.
   • 1976, Pete Rose with Bob Hertzel, quoting Pete Rose, Pete Rose's winning baseball‎, H. Regnery Co., page 10:

     But he was worried that a coach of a knothole team might not like the idea and not let me switch-hit. So, my dad went to the coach.

   • 1993 March, Michael Graham, quoting Rob Portman, “Mr. Portman Goes to Washington”, in Cincinnati, page 32:

     I was a Cub Scout. I went to church with my family, and taught Sunday school when I was in my teens. I played knothole baseball and rooted for the Reds.

   • 1998 September, Lonnie Wheeler, “The river runs through it”, in Cincinnati, page 151:

     Poetically enough, the New Richmond knothole field is situated right next to the low, open land between the old and new highway.

   • 2009, Robin Caraway, “Bellevue Vets”, in Paul A. Tenkotte, James C. Claypool, editors, The Encyclopedia of Northern Kentucky‎, Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky, via Issuu, →ISBN, page 79:

     In 1955 members organized their first baseball league; softball and knothole baseball were added later.

• (youth league baseball): peewee

• knothole section

• (hole in fence providing a look): peephole