pipeline

American  

[pahyp-lahyn] / ˈpaɪpˌlaɪn /

noun

1. a long tubular conduit or series of pipes, often underground, with pumps and valves for flow control, used to transport crude oil, natural gas, water, etc., especially over great distances.

2. a route, channel, or process along which something passes or is provided at a steady rate; means, system, or flow of supply or supplies.

   Freighters and cargo planes are a pipeline for overseas goods.

3. a channel of information, especially one that is direct, privileged, or confidential; inside source; reliable contact.

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verb (used with object)

pipelined, pipelining

1. to convey by or as if by pipeline.

   to pipeline oil from the far north to ice-free ports; to pipeline graduates into the top jobs.

idioms

1. in the pipeline,

   1. Informal. in the process of being developed, provided, or completed; in the works; under way.

   2. Government Informal. (of funds) authorized but not spent.

pipeline British  

/ ˈpaɪpˌlaɪn /

noun

1. a long pipe, esp underground, used to transport oil, natural gas, etc, over long distances

2. a medium of communication, esp a private one

3. in the process of being completed, delivered, or produced

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verb

1. to convey by pipeline

2. to supply with a pipeline

Etymology

Origin of pipeline

First recorded in 1855–60; pipe ¹ + line ¹

Explanation

A pipeline is a series of pipes that liquid or gas flows through. A pipeline can also be a channel for other things, even ideas. The Internet is an information pipeline. No digging required! While oil and natural gas often go through a pipeline, other substances are also transported this way, including water used for irrigation and even, in some cases, beer. You can use pipeline when you talk about other quick-moving things, like a source of goods, or even spoken communication. You could call the big companies in your city a kind of “job pipeline.” If you have an idea for a community pool in the pipeline, go ahead and hire the lifeguards!

Example Sentences

Drivers are a large announced pipeline, rapid digitalization and rising cloud/artificial-intelligence adoption.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

Pure fresh water would be pumped to shore by pipeline.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026

For now, one key valve in the pipeline remains closed.

From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026

Saudi Arabia, for example, is rerouting some of its crude through a pipeline to a Red Sea port, and likely won’t fully return to exporting most of its crude through the strait, Smith said.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026

A pipeline of vision went through the door crack, between two giant candles from Palermo and under an amber lampshade from Poland.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

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