chute
1[ shoot ]
/ ʃut /
noun
an inclined channel, as a trough, tube, or shaft, for conveying water, grain, coal, etc., to a lower level.
a waterfall or steep descent, as in a river.
a water slide, as at an amusement park.
a steep slope, as for tobogganing.
verb (used with object), chut·ed, chut·ing.
to move or deposit, by or as if by means of a chute: The dock had facilities for chuting grain directly into the hold of a vessel.
verb (used without object), chut·ed, chut·ing.
to descend by or as if by means of a chute.
Nearby words
churr, churrasco, churrigueresque, churro, chuse, chute, chute the chute, chute-the-chute, chutist, chutney, chutzpa
Idioms
out of the chute, at the start; at the very beginning: The new business made mistakes right out of the chute and failed within a year.
Origin of chute
11715–25; < French, Middle French, representing Old French cheoite a fall, nominalized feminine past participle of cheoir to fall (< Vulgar Latin *cadēre, for Latin cadere; cf. cadence, case1), with vowel of Middle French chue, Old French cheue, a variant past participle; some senses influenced by shoot1
Definition for chute (2 of 2)
chute
2[ shoot ]
/ ʃut /
noun
a parachute.
verb (used without object), chut·ed, chut·ing.
to descend from the air by or as if by a parachute.
verb (used with object), chut·ed, chut·ing.
to drop from an aircraft by means of a parachute: Supplies were chuted to the snowbound mountain climbers.
Origin of chute
2An Americanism dating back to 1915–20; by shortening
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for chute
British Dictionary definitions for chute (1 of 2)
chute
1/ (ʃuːt) /
noun
an inclined channel or vertical passage down which water, parcels, coal, etc, may be dropped
a steep slope, used as a slide as for toboggans
a slide into a swimming pool
a narrow passageway through which animals file for branding, spraying, etc
a rapid or waterfall
Word Origin for chute
C19: from Old French cheoite, feminine past participle of cheoir to fall, from Latin cadere; in some senses, a variant spelling of shoot
British Dictionary definitions for chute (2 of 2)
Derived Formschutist, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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