chimney

[chim-nee]

noun

plural

chimneys 

1. a structure, usually vertical, containing a passage or flue by which the smoke, gases, etc., of a fire or furnace are carried off and by means of which a draft is created.

2. the part of such a structure that rises above a roof.

3. Now Rare.,  the smokestack or funnel of a locomotive, steamship, etc.

4. a tube, usually of glass, surrounding the flame of a lamp to promote combustion and keep the flame steady.

5. Geology.

   1. the vent of a volcano.

   2. a narrow vertical fissure between two rock faces or in a rock formation.

6. Mining.,  a nearly vertical cylindrical oreshoot.

7. British Dialect.,  fireplace.

verb (used with object)

chimneyed, chimneying 

1. Mountain Climbing.,  to ascend or descend (a chimney) by repeated bracing of one's feet or back and feet against opposite walls.

verb (used without object)

chimneyed, chimneying 

1. Mountain Climbing.,  to ascend or descend a chimney.

chimney

/ ˈtʃɪmnɪ /

noun

1. a vertical structure of brick, masonry, or steel that carries smoke or steam away from a fire, engine, etc

2. another name for flue 1

3. short for chimney stack

4. an open-ended glass tube fitting around the flame of an oil or gas lamp in order to exclude draughts

5. a fireplace, esp an old and large one

6. geology

   1. a cylindrical body of an ore, which is usually oriented vertically

   2. the vent of a volcano

7. mountaineering a vertical fissure large enough for a person's body to enter

8. anything resembling a chimney in shape or function

chimney

1. An elongated opening in a volcano through which magma reaches the Earth's surface.

2. A stack of minerals that have precipitated out of a hydrothermal vent on the floor of a sea or ocean.

3. See more at hydrothermal vent

4. An isolated column of rock along a coastline, formed by the erosion of a sea cliff by waves. Chimneys are smaller than stacks.

Other Word Forms

• chimneyless adjective
• chimneylike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of chimney¹

1300–50; Middle English chimenai < Middle French cheminee < Latin ( camera ) camīnāta (room) having a fireplace, equivalent to camīn ( us ) (< Greek kámīnos furnace) + -āta -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of chimney¹

C14: from Old French cheminée, from Late Latin camīnāta, from Latin camīnus furnace, from Greek kaminos fireplace, oven

Example Sentences

Add a chimney starter and a grill cover to ensure they’re set up for success.

Read more on Salon

You can put a chimney draught excluder inside any unused fireplaces, or make your own by filling a black bag with scrunched up paper.

Read more on BBC

A fire burned in the chimney to heat the water, using pinecones as fuel, as they were easily gathered and burned more slowly than coal.

Read more on Literature

The sky was streaked with spiraling ribbons of smoke that rose from farmhouse chimneys and disappeared into the orange blaze of the sunset.

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The midday post had brought an advertisement promoting the skills of a local chimney sweep.

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Related Words

• fireplace 
• flue 
• furnace 
• hearth 
• pipe 
• stack 
• vent