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.

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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

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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.

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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

They were also not able to run a model in their new wind tunnel until mid-April.

From BBC

Debris “from bunker buster munitions can be seen around both sets of tunnel entrances,” Lair said in a social-media post.

From The Wall Street Journal

Now, she is a wind tunnel systems engineer with the Williams F1 team.

From BBC

The basketball world has changed since then, with players more likely to share hugs postgames than trade blows in the tunnel.

From The Wall Street Journal

It contains countless microscopic tunnels and hollow spaces that are essential for strength and function.

From Science Daily

Related Words

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