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• channel
  channel

  noun

  the bed of a stream, river, or other waterway.
• Channel
  Channel

  noun

  short for English Channel

channel

¹ American  

[chan-l] / ˈtʃæn l /

noun

1. the bed of a stream, river, or other waterway.

2. Nautical. a navigable route between two bodies of water.

3. the deeper part of a waterway.

4. a wide strait, as between a continent and an island.

5. a course into which something may be directed.

   He hoped to direct the conversation to a new channel.

6. a route through which anything passes or progresses.

   channels of trade.

7. channels, the specific, prescribed, or official course or means of communication.

   In an emergency he was able to reach the governor without going through channels.

8. a groove or furrow.

   Synonyms:

   cut, rut, groove, furrow, trough, trench

9. a means of access.

   He considers the Senate a channel to the White House.

10. Architecture.

    1. a flute in a column, especially one having no fillet between it and other flutes.

    2. any of the prominent vertical grooves in a triglyph.

11. (in jazz or popular music) a bridge.

12. Telecommunications. a frequency band of sufficient width for one- or two-way communication from or to a transmitter used for television, radio, CB radio, telephone, or telegraph communication.

13. Computers. a path for the transfer of signals or data within a computer or between a computer and its peripheral equipment.

14. Digital Technology.

    1. feed.

       Learn how to create your own web channel.

    2. a web page or website that distributes frequently updated content by means of a feed.

       Subscribe to my YouTube channel.

15. either of the two signals in stereophonic or any single signal in multichannel sound recording and reproduction.

16. Cell Biology. a transient opening made by a protein embedded in a cell membrane, permitting passage of specific ions or molecules into or out of the cell.

    calcium channel.

17. a tubular passage for liquids or fluids.

18. Building Trades.

    1. any structural member, as one of reinforced concrete, having the form of three sides of a rectangle.

    2. a number of such members.

       channel in 100-foot lengths.

    3. channel iron.

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verb (used with object)

• channels,
  present (3rd person singular)
• channeled,
  past participle,  past
• channelled,
  past participle,  past (especially British)
• channeling,
  present participle
• channelling
  present participle (especially British)

1. to convey through or as through a channel.

   He channeled the information to us.

   Synonyms:

   focus, direct, concentrate, steer, route, conduct, pipe, funnel, transport, convey, carry

2. to direct toward or into some particular course.

   to channel one's interests.

3. to excavate as a channel.

4. to form a channel in; groove.

5. to professedly reach or convey messages from (a spiritual guide) by entering a meditative or trancelike state.

6. to imitate the ideas, appearance, etc., of (a person or thing that is admired).

   At times he seems to be channeling the late Michael Jackson’s vocal stylings.

verb (used without object)

• channels,
  present (3rd person singular)
• channeled,
  past participle,  past
• channelled,
  past participle,  past (especially British)
• channeling,
  present participle
• channelling
  present participle (especially British)

1. to become marked by a channel.

   Soft earth has a tendency to channel during a heavy rain.

channel ² American  

[chan-l] / ˈtʃæn l /

Also chain wale,

noun

1. a horizontal timber or ledge built outboard from the side of a sailing vessel to spread shrouds and backstays outward.

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channel ¹ British  

/ ˈtʃænəl /

noun

1. a broad strait connecting two areas of sea

2. the bed or course of a river, stream, or canal

3. a navigable course through a body of water

4. (often plural) a means or agency of access, communication, etc

   to go through official channels

5. a course into which something can be directed or moved

   a new channel of thought

6. electronics

   1. a band of radio frequencies assigned for a particular purpose, esp the broadcasting of a television signal

   2. a path for an electromagnetic signal

      a stereo set has two channels

   3. a thin semiconductor layer between the source and drain of a field-effect transistor, the conductance of which is controlled by the gate voltage

7. a tubular or trough-shaped passage for fluids

8. a groove or flute, as in the shaft of a column

9. computing

   1. a path along which data can be transmitted between a central processing unit and one or more peripheral devices

   2. one of the lines along the length of a paper tape on which information can be stored in the form of punched holes

10. short for channel iron

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verb

1. to provide or be provided with a channel or channels; make or cut channels in (something)

2. (tr) to guide into or convey through a channel or channels

   information was channelled through to them

3. to serve as a medium through whom the spirit of (a person of a former age) allegedly communicates with the living

4. (tr) to exhibit the traits of (another person) in one’s actions

5. (tr) to form a groove or flute in (a column, etc)

Channel ² British  

/ ˈtʃænəl /

noun

1. short for English Channel

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channel ³ British  

/ ˈtʃænəl /

noun

1. nautical a flat timber or metal ledge projecting from the hull of a vessel above the chainplates to increase the angle of the shrouds

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channel Scientific  

/ chăn′əl /

1. A specified frequency band for the transmission and reception of electromagnetic signals, as for television signals.

2. The part of a field effect transistor, usually U-shaped, through which current flows from the source to the drain.

3. See more at field effect transistor

4. A pathway through a protein molecule in a cell membrane that modulates the electrical potential across the membrane by controlling the passage of small inorganic ions into and out of the cell.

5. The bed or deepest part of a river or harbor.

6. A large strait, especially one that connects two seas.

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channel Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing channel

• go through channels

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• channeler
  noun
• channeller
  noun
• multichanneled
  adjective
• multichannelled
  adjective
• nonchanneled
  adjective
• unchanneled
  adjective
• unchannelled
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• channeling
  present
• channelling
  present
• channeled
  past
• channelled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• channel
  simple
• channels
  simple
• have channeled
  perfect
• have channelled
  perfect
• has channeled
  perfect
• has channelled
  perfect
• am channeling
  progressive
• am channelling
  progressive
• are channeling
  progressive
• are channelling
  progressive
• is channeling
  progressive
• is channelling
  progressive
• have been channeling
  perfect progressive
• have been channelling
  perfect progressive
• has been channeling
  perfect progressive
• has been channelling
  perfect progressive

Past

• channeled
  simple
• channelled
  simple
• had channeled
  perfect
• had channelled
  perfect
• was channeling
  progressive
• was channelling
  progressive
• were channeling
  progressive
• were channelling
  progressive
• had been channeling
  perfect progressive
• had been channelling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will channel
  simple
• will have channeled
  perfect
• will have channelled
  perfect
• will be channeling
  progressive
• will be channelling
  progressive
• will have been channeling
  perfect progressive
• will have been channelling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of channel¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English chanel, can(n)el, from Old French chanel, canel, from Latin canālis “waterpipe, conduit”; see canal

Origin of channel²

First recorded in 1760–70; variant of chain wale

Explanation

A channel is a passageway, a means of access for a thing, a communication, or an idea. Think of a channel as sort of a tunnel or a funnel that moves something directly through. The noun channel can be used for many such avenues. It can mean a waterway such as the English Channel — the "Chunnel" is a tunnel beneath the Channel — or a means of accomplishing a goal, as in "going through legal channels." Use it as a verb when you channel your energies to achieve success.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

channel Channel channels channeled channelled channeling channelling

However, the great regional sports network deals relied on cable and satellite subscribers paying for every channel in a bundle, most of which viewers never watched.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

Though I’d offered to create a more secure channel to communicate, via Signal or Proton Mail, he declined.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

"If they personally haven't seen the channel it's sometimes quite difficult to make sense for them," Klymenko says.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

In exchange for the rights to market and distribute that SportsNet LA channel, Time Warner Cable agreed to pay the Dodgers $8.35 billion over 25 years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

He turned the key and slowly—controlled this time—motored out into the main channel.

From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat

Earlier this month a "mega-dinghy", with 230 people on board, was intercepted in the Channel.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

Stopping the trade in equipment for Channel crossings is the first layer of tactics being used by the UK and other countries.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

"We would like to see severe consequences for people who engage in -- and I'll use the term -- terrorist activity," Huckabee told Channel 13.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

Several companies have announced plans to launch competing services through the Channel tunnel, with Italy's Trenitalia planning to start a rival service by 2029.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

I hear the reporter from Channel 8 say into a camera.

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

On Thursday, Walmart said U.S. comparable sales, those from store and digital channels operating for the last 12 months, rose 2.6%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

Fox News is available to subscribers of Fox One, parent company Fox Corporation’s streaming platform that offers its broadcast network and cable channels for $19.99 a month.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

"I remind everyone that I was born in South Africa. I have applied through the proper legal channels to have my status and citizenship determined," she said.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

Personal-finance experts warn that nontraditional payment channels don’t always share the same consumer-safety protections as options linked to traditional banks, and can come with unexpected fees attached.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

Reports of his behavior drifted back to us through various channels.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

With commercial tourism, social media and vlogging much of today’s world feels overexposed and overexplained, with seemingly every destination photographed, every experience reviewed and all hidden gems channeled into content.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026

Amid all the fireworks and fanfare sure to mark the nation’s semiquincentennial this weekend, it’s worth remembering how sculptors, writers, composers and more have channeled the American character in works from throughout this country’s history.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026

Through the process of writing the script, Madonna was bitten by the memoir bug, but she channeled that confessional energy into her forthcoming album, “Confessions on a Dance Floor: Part II,” which drops July 3.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026

She has channeled that into art, writing the evocative and hilarious tween comedy PEN15.

From Slate ● Jun. 23, 2026

Running with an unusual gait in which one foreleg jabbed out as he swung it forward, Hard Tack channeled savagery into velocity, whipping top horses in stakes races—the highest level of racing—and breaking speed records.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

Youth protesters have called for such funds to be channelled into education, healthcare, housing, transport and job creation.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim intends to discuss "ensuring that oil supplies can continue to be channelled" to Malaysia, the country's national news agency reported.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

Anger at the exam mishandling has been channelled by the newly-founded satirical "Cockroach People's Party", which has won millions of followers on social media since its launch in May.

From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026

Rhodium estimates China has channelled tens of billions of dollars into EV and battery manufacturing in recent years alone.

From BBC ● May 27, 2026

The fear in her voice channelled perfectly with the charmspeak.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

Here, drawing on comments from many readers and channeling my own modest ideas, are suggestions to improve how capitalism works.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

Though some of the attention on her is “annoying,” channeling her competitiveness into a professional sport was an opportunity she wouldn’t miss.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026

“What I’m hearing is recognition that the DSA wing is channeling something real—prices keep climbing and paychecks aren’t keeping up.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

“I feel like my son is channeling through this medium,” Saleh said, her voice breaking as she painted a taper.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

He had the gift of tapping into the rebellious streak of a kid like Jesse while simultaneously curbing and channeling it.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

He has staked his leadership on aggressive reforms that aim to deliver double-digit growth, slashing bureaucratic red tape, empowering the private sector and channelling vast resources into mega-projects.

From Barron's ● Apr. 8, 2026

In December, the BBC announced it was doubling spending on content in the four nations by channelling more money from central budgets across the UK.

From BBC ● Jan. 29, 2026

He said he was "grateful" to Mrs Davies and her family for "channelling their grief from their really tragic circumstance into this kind of cause for action".

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2025

"A lot of it comes down to me getting back into training and channelling my energy towards that goal."

From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2025

Everywhere exclusiveness, a narrow channelling of impulse and energy.

From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley

Related Words

• avenue
• carrier
• means
• medium
• route
• tunnel