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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 channeling, present participle channelling present participle

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 channeling, present participle channelling present participle

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

Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told Spain's La 1 TV channel that firefighting efforts on Monday night had resulted in "relatively positive progress".

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

Yurok Tribe construction and fisheries crews pulled up roughly 20 acres of thick asphalt, restored the channel to a mile-long braided waterway and built wetlands and two ponds.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

However, Bernstein’s recent channel checks show there has been only a high-single-digit price hike so far in 2H.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

Then there’s former influencer Alice Llani, who started her channel, Alice and Fern, as a peek into the life of an earthy-crunchy, freebirthing, shoe-shunning tradwife.

From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026

The turtle, the dead-end channel, the cliff...Hazel got the feeling this was not the first time the letter writer had ambushed a ship here.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

Lycett's next focus is a new live TV show, The Lycett Arms, coming later this year to Channel 4, and he is also planning a tour for next year.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

Allen’s company holds a slate of network-affiliate stations and owns the Weather Channel network.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

The number on the dinghy broke the previous record from July, when 128 crossed the Channel from France on one vessel.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

The number broke the previous record from July, when 128 crossed the Channel from France in one vessel.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Britain had been watching events from across the English Channel, its critical sea route to the outside world, and now felt threatened.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

Carriers and third-party resellers have built lucrative businesses around used iPhones, but Apple can now capture more of that activity since devices returned at lease-end will feed into Apple’s own Certified Refurbished and trade-in channels.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

As the government’s enforcement pushes more local miners into legal channels, PT Timah should gradually recapture these volumes, boosting the Indonesian company’s tin-metal sales over 2026-2028.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026

That said, he did swap his trademark dark T-Shirt and jacket for a suit and tie, although he has maintained his regular output of casual, selfie-led videos on his social media channels.

From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026

Material first reported Robb’s presence in the channels.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

The IMF no longer has any trace of her in their records, but their secure channels worked well from the start, and that was thanks to her.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

“The New Abnormal” had a handful of compact songs that channeled the band’s ultra-cool early influences—think arty garage-rock like the Velvet Underground, the Stooges and Television—but “Reality Awaits” leans into experimentation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

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

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

From Slate ● Jun. 23, 2026

Remittances from Cubans abroad, a lifeline for many, will no longer be channeled exclusively through the state, and money changers will also be allowed operate privately.

From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026

A continuous dialogue is going on between the two hemispheres, channeled through an immense bundle of nerves, the corpus callosum, the bridge between creativity and analysis, both of which are necessary to understand the world.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

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

But she's channelled that trauma and grief into action.

From BBC ● Jun. 3, 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

A New York Times reviewer noted that the authors seemed to be channeling “a few elite finance and tech bros in two or three coastal cities.”

From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026

Whether it was Ryan channeling designer inspo or fashion-snatching looks from the streets, the display — like the book that inspired it — was colorful and daring, inspired and eccentric and wholly unique.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026

Family offices are channeling ever more capital directly into companies over investing in private-market funds.

From Barron's ● May 23, 2026

At the pivotal moment, Wembanyama even seemed to be channeling highlight reels, just for fun.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026

Koffi practiced channeling the splendor with Badwa for the rest of the day, and the two days after.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

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

Founding the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, she campaigned against seal hunting and animal testing, channelling her passion into advocacy.

From BBC ● Dec. 28, 2025

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

While the ban was a catalyst for the current unrest, protesters are also channelling a more deep-rooted dissatisfaction with the country's authorities.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2025

‘Who wants to be the next Popsicle?’ she yelled, channelling anger into her charmspeak.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

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