funicular

[fyoo-nik-yuh-ler]

adjective

1. of or relating to a rope or cord, or its tension.

2. worked by a rope or the like.

noun

1. funicular railway.

funicular

/ fjuːˈnɪkjʊlə /

noun

1. Also called: funicular railway. a railway up the side of a mountain, consisting of a counterbalanced car sat either end of a cable passing round a driving wheel at the summit

adjective

1. relating to or operated by a rope, cable, etc

2. of or relating to a funicle

Word History and Origins

Origin of funicular¹

1655–65; < Latin fūnicul ( us ) ( funiculus ) + -ar ¹

Example Sentences

The head of Lisbon's municipal transport operator and its entire board resigned Wednesday, two days after an inquiry pointed to a faulty cable in a deadly funicular crash last month.

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A preliminary report into last month's funicular crash in Lisbon that killed 16 people has detailed a litany of failings.

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An investigation into the Lisbon funicular crash will publish its first report on Monday into the causes of the derailment, which killed 16 people in early September.

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The third British victim killed in the Lisbon funicular crash has been named by police.

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An American who died in Lisbon's deadly funicular crash has been identified as Heather Hall, a mother of two and college teacher who was visiting Portugal from the US state of South Carolina.

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