tunnel

American  

[tuhn-l] / ˈtʌn l /

noun

1. an underground passage.

2. a passageway, as for trains or automobiles, through or under an obstruction, as a city, mountain, river, harbor, or the like.

3. an approximately horizontal gallery or corridor in a mine.

4. the burrow of an animal.

5. Dialect. a funnel.

---

verb (used with object)

tunneled, tunneling, tunnelled, tunnelling

1. to construct a passageway through or under.

   to tunnel a mountain.

2. to make or excavate (a tunnel or underground passage).

   to tunnel a passage under a river.

3. to move or proceed by or as if by boring a tunnel.

   The river tunneled its way through the mountain.

4. to pierce or hollow out, as with tunnels.

verb (used without object)

tunneled, tunneling, tunnelled, tunnelling

1. to make a tunnel or tunnels.

   to tunnel through the Alps.

tunnel British  

/ ˈtʌnəl /

noun

1. an underground passageway, esp one for trains or cars that passes under a mountain, river, or a congested urban area

2. any passage or channel through or under something

3. a dialect word for funnel

4. obsolete the flue of a chimney

---

verb

1. (tr) to make or force (a way) through or under (something)

   to tunnel a hole in the wall

   to tunnel the cliff

2. (intr; foll by through, under, etc) to make or force a way (through or under something)

   he tunnelled through the bracken

tunnel Idioms  

1. see light at the end of the tunnel.

---

Other Word Forms

• subtunnel noun
• tunneler noun
• tunneller noun
• tunnellike adjective
• untunneled adjective
• untunnelled adjective

Etymology

Origin of tunnel

1400–50; late Middle English tonel (noun) < Middle French tonele, tonnelle funnel-shaped net, feminine of tonnel cask, diminutive of tonne tun; -elle

Example Sentences

As he took a slow walk up the Celtic tunnel on full-time, it wasn't hard to feel something for Wilfried Nancy, a haunted manager on the end of a sixth defeat in his eight games.

From BBC

Besides Tesla, the multi-billionaire's business interests also include the social media platform X, the rocket firm SpaceX and the Boring Company, which digs tunnels.

From BBC

But Emery had already made his way down the tunnel following a handshake with fourth official Thomas Kirk.

From Barron's

"I guess my new year plan is in the hands of the tunnel operators now," the 27-year-old Parisian said.

From BBC

"You saw this big hole being dug, the big tunnels going out under the sea, you saw these big steel spheres being constructed by the welders at the time," he said.

From BBC

Related Words

• channel
• hole
• mine
• pit
• shaft
• subway
• underpass