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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

The U.K. fund management group’s purchase of Hawksmoor’s fund management and model portfolio services business extends Liontrust’s reach into the financial adviser channel, the analysts add.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

The strategists added that the relative outperformance of megacap growth and tech has “risen to the upper half of its long-run trend channel, but is not yet at the top.”

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026

Parastoo Ahmadi sang while wearing a sleeveless dress during a concert livestreamed on her YouTube channel in December 2024, external.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

The channel has not commented on the incident.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

Captain Smith’s voice speaks in my head, Learn to channel your anger, Samuel, and it will become your strength rather than your weakness.

From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone

“Cartoon Network was better than Disney Channel and Nickelodeon.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

On Monday, three migrants, including a 10-year-old boy, died off the French coast while trying to cross the Channel to Britain, French authorities said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

So far this year, 19,135 people have made the Channel crossing, which is 42% lower than the same period in 2025 when 32,188 crossed in small boats.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

Rubis said its focus still remains ensuring that the Channel Islands continue to benefit from secure fuel supplies when global fuel supply chains remain under significant pressure.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

Dad and I watched the History Channel and played chess all day, and in the evening, my mother and Charlie joined us.

From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia

Paramount will also face restrictions on how it wields clout during negotiations for distribution of its basic cable TV channels.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 30, 2026

The investigation was still in its early stages, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans said, and the public was asked "to follow official channels for updates" and not to speculate.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

It now generates 50% of its sales through its own distribution channels.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026

Another entry point is the 400-mile Guadalquivir River, a labyrinthine waterway of channels and inlets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

“Don’t worry about it, okay?” she told me again as she flipped through the channels on the TV.

From Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff

It was so much energy getting channeled into one big opting-out.

From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2026

The rapper has channeled his views on the conflict into his music, releasing his protest song “Hind’s Hall” in May 2024.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

When he sat down to write "Insidious: Out of the Further," the sixth installement of the blockbuster horror franchise, director Jacob Chase channeled his fears over a major life event: becoming a parent.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

A portion of those particles are channeled to Earth’s magnetic poles, and when the solar wind is particularly active, they become visible as the aurora borealis and aurora australis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

The spirits Kate channeled provided superb advice, “There is but one life to live on this earth. Enjoy it and be happy.”

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Mike Teague, part of a gnarly 1980s Cherry-and-White pack, was among the club legends they channelled to explain the hard-nosed approach they wanted.

From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026

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

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 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

Asked by AFP about Russia's economic woes, the Russian leader on Thursday channelled Mark Twain.

From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026

The fear in her voice channelled perfectly with the charmspeak.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

Friedman was, as usual, channeling mainstream foreign policy dogma, which briefly held that constructive change might emerge from the chaotic aftermath of the Oct.

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026

“That was a channeling of emotions through his artwork,” Goldberg said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026

A few years later, she was a regular on a soap opera, channeling her darkest fears into tears that would have adults heaping praise upon her.

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

Yakov joined me in my struggle, wrestling against the creature as though he were channeling his namesake.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

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 north London, Arteta is channelling Heinze's enthusiasm – and the Gunners are flying.

From BBC ● Mar. 10, 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

The UN and its partners said the system contravened the fundamental humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality and independence, and that channelling desperate people into militarised zones was inherently unsafe.

From BBC ● Nov. 24, 2025

But when I write these letters to you, I feel as if I’m channelling the strength that you gave to me the day you broke your own heart to save our lives.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

Related Words

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