tunnel

[tuhn-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

/ 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

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of tunnel¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of tunnel¹

C15: from Old French tonel cask, from tonne tun, from Medieval Latin tonna barrel, of Celtic origin

Idioms and Phrases

see light at the end of the tunnel.

Example Sentences

Simeone had to be dragged away from the scene and continued his protests before he was sent off and walked off down the tunnel.

From BBC

America's top diplomat was a guest of honour at the opening of the so-called "Pilgrimage Road", a tunnel excavated under Palestinian homes next to Jerusalem's Old City.

From BBC

“Nerve injury is something that essentially 40% of Americans will experience either through carpal tunnel, injury, diabetes, HIV, cancer, chemotherapy,” Daboussi said.

From Los Angeles Times

It has released numerous videos of what it says are Hamas tunnels running under civilian buildings, including hospitals.

From BBC

State officials have said that during wet years, having the tunnel would enable the state to capture more water.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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