flue

[ floo ]

/ flu /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR flue ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a passage or duct for smoke in a chimney.

any duct or passage for air, gas, or the like.

a tube, especially a large one, in a fire-tube boiler.

Music.

flue pipe.
Also called windway. a narrow slit in the upper end of an organ pipe through which the air current is directed.

Nearby words

fluctuant, fluctuate, fluctuation, flucytosine, fludrocortisone acetate, flue, flue gas, flue pipe, flue stop, flue-cure, fluellen

Origin of flue

1555–65; earlier flew, perhaps representing Old English flēwsa a flowing, the form flews being taken as plural

Can be confused

flew flu flue

Definition for flue (2 of 3)

flue

[ floo ]

/ flu /

noun

downy matter; fluff.

Origin of flue

1580–90; perhaps to be identified with Old English flug- (in flugol swift, fleeting); akin to fly¹. Compare Low German flug

Definition for flue (3 of 3)

flue

or flew

[ floo ]

/ flu /

noun

a fishing net.

Origin of flue

1350–1400; Middle English flowe; compare Middle Dutch vluwe fishing net

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for flue

Neglect of the connection between smoke pipe and flue or of the flue itself.
Farmers' Bulletin 1230 - Chimneys & Fireplaces|A. M. Daniels
All gas heaters must be connected with a flue to carry off the products of combustion.
Elements of Plumbing|Samuel Dibble
In Holland and Westphalia, the fire is made in the cellar, and the smoke carried by a flue into a cool, dry chamber.
Sheep, Swine, and Poultry|Robert Jennings
For larger furnaces there is greater danger of making the flue too small than too large.
The Silent Readers|William D. Lewis

The flue from the engine is carried through the drying room and dries his leather.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick

British Dictionary definitions for flue (1 of 4)

flue

/ (fluː) /

noun

a shaft, tube, or pipe, esp as used in a chimney, to carry off smoke, gas, etc

music the passage in an organ pipe or flute within which a vibrating air column is set upSee also flue pipe

Word Origin for flue

C16: of unknown origin

British Dictionary definitions for flue (2 of 4)

flue

/ (fluː) /

noun

loose fluffy matter; down

Word Origin for flue

C16: from Flemish vluwe, from Old French velu shaggy

British Dictionary definitions for flue (3 of 4)

flue

flew

/ (fluː) /

noun

a type of fishing net

Word Origin for flue

Middle English, from Middle Dutch vlūwe

British Dictionary definitions for flue (4 of 4)

flue

⁴

/ (fluː) /

noun

another word for fluke 1 (def. 1), fluke 1

Derived Forms

flued, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012