flue

[ floo ]

/ flu /

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See 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.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of flue

First recorded in 1555–65; earlier flew; of uncertain origin; perhaps from Old English flēwsa “a flowing, flux,” the form flews being taken as plural

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH flue

flew, flu, flue

Words nearby flue

flubdub, fluctuant, fluctuate, fluctuation, flucytosine, flue, flue-cure, flue gas, fluellen, fluency, fluent

Other definitions for flue (2 of 3)

flue²

[ floo ]

/ flu /

noun

downy matter; fluff.

Origin of flue

First recorded in 1580–90; of uncertain origin; perhaps from Old English flug- (in flugol “swift, fleeting”); perhaps from Flemish Dutch vluwe, from French velu “hairy, downy”; see also velvet

Other definitions for flue (3 of 3)

flue³

or flew

[ floo ]

/ flu /

noun

a fishing net.

Origin of flue

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English flue, flowe, flew, from Middle Dutch vl(o)uwe “fishing net”; akin to Old English flōwan flow

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use flue in a sentence

Another newly funded project at Illinois Sustainable Technology Center aims to reduce cultivation and resource costs by using carbon dioxide from the flue gas emitted by a nearby power plant, along with nutrients from wastewater treatment plants.
The cost of algae-based biofuel is still too high|Nikita Amir|February 21, 2022|Popular-Science
However, the flue gas coming out of a smokestack from the chimney of a power plant or industrial facility carries a much heftier amount of carbon, at around 10 to 15 percent carbon dioxide.
The truth about carbon capture technology|Charlotte Hu|November 5, 2021|Popular-Science
This can also crack or break your flue liner, allowing deadly combustion gases from your furnace, fireplace, or water heater to accumulate inside your home.
Is your house safe? Use this checklist to find out.|Jean Feingold|September 7, 2021|Popular-Science
If you have a fireplace, ensure that it’s been properly maintained and that the flue is open for smoke to escape out the chimney.
The safest ways to stay warm during a power outage|John Kennedy|February 18, 2021|Popular-Science

The point was to evaluate the possibility of using minerals to capture and store the gas from the flue stream of a power plant.
Asbestos could be a powerful weapon against climate change (you read that right)|James Temple|October 6, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Cavaill-Coll subsequently utilized slightly increased pressures for the trebles of his flue stops as well as for his larger reeds.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
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
He was the first to show that reeds could be made really beautiful and fit for use without help from flue stops.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
In the Pedal department no reed or flue pipe can begin to compare with a Diaphone, either in attack or in volume of tone.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
The inner or first tube forms the fire-place and flue, and at the same time the inner side of the boiler.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick

British Dictionary definitions for flue (1 of 4)

flue¹

/ (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)

flue²

/ (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)

flue³

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)

flue⁴

/ (fluː) /

noun

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

Derived forms of flue

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

flue

Origin of flue

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH flue

Words nearby flue

Other definitions for flue (2 of 3)

Origin of flue

Other definitions for flue (3 of 3)

or flew

Origin of flue

Words related to flue

How to use flue in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for flue (1 of 4)

Word Origin for flue

British Dictionary definitions for flue (2 of 4)

Word Origin for flue

British Dictionary definitions for flue (3 of 4)

flew

Word Origin for flue

British Dictionary definitions for flue (4 of 4)

Derived forms of flue