flue

1
[ floo ]
See synonyms for flue on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a passage or duct for smoke in a chimney.

  2. any duct or passage for air, gas, or the like.

  1. a tube, especially a large one, in a fire-tube boiler.

  2. Music.

    • Also called windway . a narrow slit in the upper end of an organ pipe through which the air current is directed.

Origin of flue

1
First recorded in 1555–65; earlier flew; of uncertain origin; perhaps from Old English flēwsa “a flowing, flux,” the form flews being taken as plural

Words that may be confused with flue

Words Nearby flue

Other definitions for flue (2 of 3)

flue2
[ floo ]

noun
  1. downy matter; fluff.

Origin of flue

2
First recorded in 1580–90; of uncertain origin; perhaps from Old English flug- (in flugol “swift, fleeting”); perhaps from Flemish Dutch vluwe, from French velu “hairy, downy”; see also velvet

Other definitions for flue (3 of 3)

flue3

or flew

[ floo ]

noun
  1. a fishing net.

Origin of flue

3
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English flue, flowe, flew, from Middle Dutch vl(o)uwe “fishing net”; akin to Old English flōwan flow

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use flue in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for flue (1 of 4)

flue1

/ (fluː) /


noun
  1. a shaft, tube, or pipe, esp as used in a chimney, to carry off smoke, gas, etc

  2. music the passage in an organ pipe or flute within which a vibrating air column is set up: See also flue pipe

Origin of flue

1
C16: of unknown origin

British Dictionary definitions for flue (2 of 4)

flue2

/ (fluː) /


noun
  1. loose fluffy matter; down

Origin of flue

2
C16: from Flemish vluwe, from Old French velu shaggy

British Dictionary definitions for flue (3 of 4)

flue3

flew

/ (fluː) /


noun
  1. a type of fishing net

Origin of flue

3
Middle English, from Middle Dutch vlūwe

British Dictionary definitions for flue (4 of 4)

flue4

/ (fluː) /


noun
  1. another word for fluke 1 (def. 1), fluke 1

Derived forms of flue

  • flued, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012