funnel
Americannoun
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a cone-shaped utensil with a tube at the apex for conducting liquid or other substance through a small opening, as into a bottle, jug, or the like.
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a smokestack, especially of a steamship.
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a flue, tube, or shaft, as for ventilation.
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Eastern New England. a stovepipe.
verb (used with object)
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to concentrate, channel, or focus.
They funneled all income into research projects.
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to pour through or as if through a funnel.
verb (used without object)
noun
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a hollow utensil with a wide mouth tapering to a small hole, used for pouring liquids, powders, etc, into a narrow-necked vessel
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something resembling this in shape or function
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a smokestack for smoke and exhaust gases, as on a steamship or steam locomotive
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a shaft or tube, as in a building, for ventilation
verb
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to move or cause to move or pour through or as if through a funnel
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to concentrate or focus or be concentrated or focused in a particular direction
they funnelled their attention on the problem
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(intr) to take on a funnel-like shape
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have funnelledperfect
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have funneledperfect
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has funneledperfect 3rd person singular
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has funnelledperfect 3rd person singular
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am funnellingprogressive 1st person singular
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are funnelingprogressive
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have been funnellingperfect progressive
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has been funnellingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is funnellingprogressive 3rd person singular
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have been funnelingperfect progressive
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funnellingparticiple
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funnelingparticiple
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has been funnelingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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am funnelingprogressive 1st person singular
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are funnellingprogressive
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funnelssingular 3rd person
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is funnelingprogressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had funneledperfect
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had funnelledperfect
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were funnelingprogressive plural
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was funnellingprogressive singular
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had been funnelingperfect progressive
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was funnelingprogressive singular
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funneledparticiple
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had been funnellingperfect progressive
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funnelledsimple
-
were funnellingprogressive plural
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funneledsimple
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funnelledparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of funnel
1375–1425; late Middle English fonel < Old Provençal fonilh ( Gascon ) < Vulgar Latin *fundibulum, for Latin infundibulum, derivative of infundere to pour in
Explanation
The cone-shaped tool you use to pour liquid into a small hole is a funnel. The swirling winds of a tornado make the shape of a funnel. This is why they are called funnel clouds. You can also use the word metaphorically to describe something that goes from wide to narrow while moving. If six lanes of traffic must funnel through a tunnel, you'll probably see a traffic jam. And if you photographed the scene from above, the cars would make a triangular shape, as if they formed a flat funnel. If a company is funneling money into research and development, it is spending lots of money in that department. Funnel cake is made by pouring batter through a funnel in to hot oil. Yum!
Vocabulary lists containing funnel
Words to Know Before You Defrost the Bird
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Pestle, Sieve, and Whisk: Useful Words for Cooking Tools
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Seedfolks
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
These small mesh tents cover less than a square meter of ground and funnel emerging insects into glass jars.
From Science Daily • May 28, 2026
So I was excited to take all of these things that I’ve learned along the way and funnel them and channel them into this opportunity.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
Treasury had sought to close down the money-transfer networks it said Iran had used to funnel money to its proxy forces in Gaza and Lebanon.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
Last week, Mamman was found guilty of 12 counts, including using private firms to funnel money linked to government-funded power plants.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
At the boardwalk amusement park, Kevin and I rode a few rides and ate funnel cake, but the upcoming court date hung over my head like a dark cloud.
From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
