funnel

American  

[fuhn-l] / ˈfʌn l /

noun

1. 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.

2. a smokestack, especially of a steamship.

3. a flue, tube, or shaft, as for ventilation.

4. Eastern New England. a stovepipe.

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verb (used with object)

funneled, funneling, funnelled, funnelling

1. to concentrate, channel, or focus.

   They funneled all income into research projects.

2. to pour through or as if through a funnel.

verb (used without object)

funneled, funneling, funnelled, funnelling

1. to pass through or as if through a funnel.

funnel British  

/ ˈfʌnəl /

noun

1. a hollow utensil with a wide mouth tapering to a small hole, used for pouring liquids, powders, etc, into a narrow-necked vessel

2. something resembling this in shape or function

3. a smokestack for smoke and exhaust gases, as on a steamship or steam locomotive

4. a shaft or tube, as in a building, for ventilation

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verb

1. to move or cause to move or pour through or as if through a funnel

2. to concentrate or focus or be concentrated or focused in a particular direction

   they funnelled their attention on the problem

3. (intr) to take on a funnel-like shape

Other Word Forms

• funnel-like adjective
• funnellike adjective

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

Example Sentences

The buying spree wasn’t limited to equities: retail investors’ share of option trading volumes is also near records, and they funneled more dollars into the leading gold ETF than in the past five years combined.

From The Wall Street Journal

Millions more were funnelled into art by Claude Monet and Vincent van Gogh, a private jet, and the production of the Hollywood movie "The Wolf of Wall Street" by Najib's stepson.

From Barron's

These filaments also act as pathways that funnel matter and angular momentum into galaxies.

From Science Daily

Their gill arch system forms a funnel that is widest at the mouth and narrows toward the gullet.

From Science Daily

Instead of hiding away, Jenny funnelled her anger into training to become a journalist to uncover the truth for herself.

From BBC

Related Words

• channel
• filter
• pour
• siphon
• transmit