chimney

[ chim-nee ]

noun

, plural chim·neys.

1. a structure, usually vertical, containing a passage or flue by which the smoke, gases, etc., of a fire or furnace are carried off and by means of which a draft is created.
2. the part of such a structure that rises above a roof.
3. Now Rare. the smokestack or funnel of a locomotive, steamship, etc.
4. a tube, usually of glass, surrounding the flame of a lamp to promote combustion and keep the flame steady.
5. Geology.
   1. the vent of a volcano.
   2. a narrow vertical fissure between two rock faces or in a rock formation.
6. Mining. a nearly vertical cylindrical oreshoot.
7. British Dialect. fireplace.

verb (used with object)

, chim·neyed, chim·ney·ing.

1. Mountain Climbing. to ascend or descend (a chimney) by repeated bracing of one's feet or back and feet against opposite walls.

verb (used without object)

, chim·neyed, chim·ney·ing.

1. Mountain Climbing. to ascend or descend a chimney.

chimney

/ ˈtʃɪmnɪ /

noun

1. a vertical structure of brick, masonry, or steel that carries smoke or steam away from a fire, engine, etc
2. another name for flue 1
3. short for chimney stack
4. an open-ended glass tube fitting around the flame of an oil or gas lamp in order to exclude draughts
5. a fireplace, esp an old and large one
6. geology
   1. a cylindrical body of an ore, which is usually oriented vertically
   2. the vent of a volcano
7. mountaineering a vertical fissure large enough for a person's body to enter
8. anything resembling a chimney in shape or function

chimney

/ chĭm′nē /

1. An elongated opening in a volcano through which magma reaches the Earth's surface.
2. A stack of minerals that have precipitated out of a hydrothermal vent on the floor of a sea or ocean.
3. See more at hydrothermal vent
4. An isolated column of rock along a coastline, formed by the erosion of a sea cliff by waves. Chimneys are smaller than stacks.

Other Words From

• chimney·less adjective
• chimney·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of chimney¹

1300–50; Middle English chimenai < Middle French cheminee < Latin ( camera ) camīnāta (room) having a fireplace, equivalent to camīn ( us ) (< Greek kámīnos furnace) + -āta -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of chimney¹

C14: from Old French cheminée, from Late Latin camīnāta, from Latin camīnus furnace, from Greek kaminos fireplace, oven

Example Sentences

All that was left of one home on Valley Vista Drive was a chimney and a burned washing machine.

From Los Angeles Times

And that’s why North Carolina Rep. Chuck Edwards, representing western North Carolina, had to issue a press release including, among other things, the following sentence: “Hurricane Helene was NOT geoengineered by the government to seize and access lithium deposits in Chimney Rock.”

From Slate

Damage in the Lake Lure/Chimney Rock area of North Carolina is being described as post-apocalyptic, with the lake’s surface almost completely covered by debris from destroyed houses, docks, and commercial buildings.

From Salon

On the north side of Highway 2 on Wednesday, fire lapped at thick vegetation that surrounded a two-story house with a brick chimney.

From Los Angeles Times

The process envelops you in intrigue: We see the furnace and the chimney, the ceremonial stitching together of cast slips of paper.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• fireplace
• flue
• furnace
• hearth
• pipe
• stack
• vent