What is the plural form of the word “orifice?”
What wrong with “orifices”?
Orifaeces? 
I thought orifice was already plural.
orifices
stomata
holes
PUSSIES!
The United States House of Representatives?
There are Latin-derived nouns (mostly ending in “x”) that form accepted English plurals in “-ices” : matrix, matrices, or index, indices, for example. But “orifice” isn’t one of them (the Latin derivation here is ultimately from os, oris “a mouth” plus facere “to make”). So, “orifice” is a singular noun, whose plural is “orifices”.
Steve Wright in the Afternoon Steve Wright or just Steve Wright?
I’d have said Orifii, y’know like cactai,or whatever it is
It’s not the Steve Wright you mean, but neither is it just Steve Wright, as anyone at the receiving end of his rapier wit would attest. Steve is so special we’re thinking of installing a blue plaque on his forehead. 
I don’t really understand Steve Wright’s point. If it was one of the “Latin-derived nouns that form accepted English plurals in ‘-ices’”, wouldn’t it still be “orifices”?
Orifwaah. I’m certain of it.
My point, SmackFu, is that it isn’t one of those words … it’s just a word that happens to look slightly like one. That is, there’s no “orifex” or something from which “orifices” would derive … (I was sort of trying to answer Mudshark’s comment, above, about thinking it was already plural.)
(jr8 - would it match the blue plaque on my teeth? 
)
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Steve Wright *
**My point, SmackFu, is that it isn’t one of those words … it’s just a word that happens to look slightly like one. That is, there’s no “orifex” or something from which “orifices” would derive … (I was sort of trying to answer Mudshark’s comment, above, about thinking it was already plural.)
Checked my medical dictionary…it’s orifices…Steve Wright…You win the “I’m a God for the Day” Award. Congratulations.
If a plural is not listed in the dictionary, then one forms it the normal way, as in adding “-s” or “-es.” Dictionaries only list irregular plurals, so far as I’ve seen.
What the heck did anyone think it would be?
And why would you decided that orifice should form a plural like cactus? I can’t see the link.
Orifices.
I think that the confusion stems from certain words derived from Latin that end in “us”, like radius or alumnus, have irregular plurals (radii, alumni), and the current trend (I’ve even seen it on the SDMB) is for people to take other words in English that end in the same sound, like penis or, perhaps, orifice, and, regardless of the word’s etymology, apply the same rule (penii, orifi.)
I thought that the word octopus was also one that people mistakenly pluralized as octopi, but, according to my American Heritage Dictionary, octopi is an accepted plural (but octopuses is preferred.) I’m not sure if this is because it’s correct or because it’s been used so long that it’s now accepted. Perhaps someone smarter can come along and enlighten me.
Oh OK so, I was kind of hoping to find out how Sid The Manager was getting on these days …