funnel
Americannoun
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a cone-shaped utensil with a tube at the apex for conducting liquid or other substance through a small opening, as into a bottle, jug, or the like.
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a smokestack, especially of a steamship.
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a flue, tube, or shaft, as for ventilation.
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Eastern New England. a stovepipe.
verb (used with object)
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to concentrate, channel, or focus.
They funneled all income into research projects.
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to pour through or as if through a funnel.
verb (used without object)
noun
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a hollow utensil with a wide mouth tapering to a small hole, used for pouring liquids, powders, etc, into a narrow-necked vessel
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something resembling this in shape or function
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a smokestack for smoke and exhaust gases, as on a steamship or steam locomotive
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a shaft or tube, as in a building, for ventilation
verb
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to move or cause to move or pour through or as if through a funnel
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to concentrate or focus or be concentrated or focused in a particular direction
they funnelled their attention on the problem
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(intr) to take on a funnel-like shape
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of funnel
1375–1425; late Middle English fonel < Old Provençal fonilh ( Gascon ) < Vulgar Latin *fundibulum, for Latin infundibulum, derivative of infundere to pour in
Explanation
The cone-shaped tool you use to pour liquid into a small hole is a funnel. The swirling winds of a tornado make the shape of a funnel. This is why they are called funnel clouds. You can also use the word metaphorically to describe something that goes from wide to narrow while moving. If six lanes of traffic must funnel through a tunnel, you'll probably see a traffic jam. And if you photographed the scene from above, the cars would make a triangular shape, as if they formed a flat funnel. If a company is funneling money into research and development, it is spending lots of money in that department. Funnel cake is made by pouring batter through a funnel in to hot oil. Yum!
Vocabulary lists containing funnel
Words to Know Before You Defrost the Bird
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Pestle, Sieve, and Whisk: Useful Words for Cooking Tools
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Seedfolks
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The breakthrough relies on tiny "molecular antennas" that funnel electrical energy into insulating nanoparticles.
From Science Daily • May 18, 2026
Barrels are popping up in unexpected places as refiners seek outlets to funnel barrels to international markets.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
The globe-spanning scandal also ensnared Pras Michel, a rapper in rap trio the Fugees, who was found guilty of helping Low funnel money from 1MDB into US politics.
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
Players have been preparing for weeks, working with fans to funnel powerful items into their characters.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2026
The ship's chimney, or funnel, as sailors call it, is thirteen meters high.
From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
