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• channel
  channel

  noun

  the bed of a stream, river, or other waterway.
• Channel
  Channel

  noun

  short for English Channel

channel

¹ American  

[chan-l] / ˈtʃæn l /

noun

1. 

   the bed of a stream, river, or other waterway.

2. Nautical. a navigable route between two bodies of water.

3. the deeper part of a waterway.

4. a wide strait, as between a continent and an island.

5. a course into which something may be directed.

   He hoped to direct the conversation to a new channel.

6. a route through which anything passes or progresses.

   channels of trade.

7. channels, the specific, prescribed, or official course or means of communication.

   In an emergency he was able to reach the governor without going through channels.

8. a groove or furrow.

   Synonyms:

   cut, rut, groove, furrow, trough, trench

9. a means of access.

   He considers the Senate a channel to the White House.

10. Architecture.

    1. a flute in a column, especially one having no fillet between it and other flutes.

    2. any of the prominent vertical grooves in a triglyph.

11. (in jazz or popular music) a bridge.

12. Telecommunications. a frequency band of sufficient width for one- or two-way communication from or to a transmitter used for television, radio, CB radio, telephone, or telegraph communication.

13. Computers. a path for the transfer of signals or data within a computer or between a computer and its peripheral equipment.

14. Digital Technology.

    1. feed.

       Learn how to create your own web channel.

    2. a web page or website that distributes frequently updated content by means of a feed.

       Subscribe to my YouTube channel.

15. either of the two signals in stereophonic or any single signal in multichannel sound recording and reproduction.

16. Cell Biology. a transient opening made by a protein embedded in a cell membrane, permitting passage of specific ions or molecules into or out of the cell.

    calcium channel.

17. a tubular passage for liquids or fluids.

18. Building Trades.

    1. any structural member, as one of reinforced concrete, having the form of three sides of a rectangle.

    2. a number of such members.

       channel in 100-foot lengths.

    3. channel iron.

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verb (used with object)

• channels,
  present (3rd person singular)
• channeled,
  past participle,  past
• channelled,
  past participle,  past (especially British)
• channeling,
  present participle
• channelling
  present participle (especially British)

1. to convey through or as through a channel.

   He channeled the information to us.

   Synonyms:

   focus, direct, concentrate, steer, route, conduct, pipe, funnel, transport, convey, carry

2. to direct toward or into some particular course.

   to channel one's interests.

3. to excavate as a channel.

4. to form a channel in; groove.

5. to professedly reach or convey messages from (a spiritual guide) by entering a meditative or trancelike state.

6. to imitate the ideas, appearance, etc., of (a person or thing that is admired).

   At times he seems to be channeling the late Michael Jackson’s vocal stylings.

verb (used without object)

• channels,
  present (3rd person singular)
• channeled,
  past participle,  past
• channelled,
  past participle,  past (especially British)
• channeling,
  present participle
• channelling
  present participle (especially British)

1. to become marked by a channel.

   Soft earth has a tendency to channel during a heavy rain.

channel ² American  

[chan-l] / ˈtʃæn l /

Also chain wale,

noun

1. a horizontal timber or ledge built outboard from the side of a sailing vessel to spread shrouds and backstays outward.

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channel ¹ British  

/ ˈtʃænəl /

noun

1. a broad strait connecting two areas of sea

2. the bed or course of a river, stream, or canal

3. a navigable course through a body of water

4. (often plural) a means or agency of access, communication, etc

   to go through official channels

5. a course into which something can be directed or moved

   a new channel of thought

6. electronics

   1. a band of radio frequencies assigned for a particular purpose, esp the broadcasting of a television signal

   2. a path for an electromagnetic signal

      a stereo set has two channels

   3. a thin semiconductor layer between the source and drain of a field-effect transistor, the conductance of which is controlled by the gate voltage

7. a tubular or trough-shaped passage for fluids

8. a groove or flute, as in the shaft of a column

9. computing

   1. a path along which data can be transmitted between a central processing unit and one or more peripheral devices

   2. one of the lines along the length of a paper tape on which information can be stored in the form of punched holes

10. short for channel iron

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verb

1. to provide or be provided with a channel or channels; make or cut channels in (something)

2. (tr) to guide into or convey through a channel or channels

   information was channelled through to them

3. to serve as a medium through whom the spirit of (a person of a former age) allegedly communicates with the living

4. (tr) to exhibit the traits of (another person) in one’s actions

5. (tr) to form a groove or flute in (a column, etc)

Channel ² British  

/ ˈtʃænəl /

noun

1. short for English Channel

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channel ³ British  

/ ˈtʃænəl /

noun

1. nautical a flat timber or metal ledge projecting from the hull of a vessel above the chainplates to increase the angle of the shrouds

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channel Scientific  

/ chăn′əl /

1. A specified frequency band for the transmission and reception of electromagnetic signals, as for television signals.

2. The part of a field effect transistor, usually U-shaped, through which current flows from the source to the drain.

3. See more at field effect transistor

4. A pathway through a protein molecule in a cell membrane that modulates the electrical potential across the membrane by controlling the passage of small inorganic ions into and out of the cell.

5. The bed or deepest part of a river or harbor.

6. A large strait, especially one that connects two seas.

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channel Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing channel

• go through channels

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• channeler
  noun
• channeller
  noun
• multichanneled
  adjective
• multichannelled
  adjective
• nonchanneled
  adjective
• unchanneled
  adjective
• unchannelled
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• channeling
  present
• channelling
  present
• channeled
  past
• channelled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• channel
  simple
• channels
  simple
• have channeled
  perfect
• have channelled
  perfect
• has channeled
  perfect
• has channelled
  perfect
• am channeling
  progressive
• am channelling
  progressive
• are channeling
  progressive
• are channelling
  progressive
• is channeling
  progressive
• is channelling
  progressive
• have been channeling
  perfect progressive
• have been channelling
  perfect progressive
• has been channeling
  perfect progressive
• has been channelling
  perfect progressive

Past

• channeled
  simple
• channelled
  simple
• had channeled
  perfect
• had channelled
  perfect
• was channeling
  progressive
• was channelling
  progressive
• were channeling
  progressive
• were channelling
  progressive
• had been channeling
  perfect progressive
• had been channelling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will channel
  simple
• will have channeled
  perfect
• will have channelled
  perfect
• will be channeling
  progressive
• will be channelling
  progressive
• will have been channeling
  perfect progressive
• will have been channelling
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of channel¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English chanel, can(n)el, from Old French chanel, canel, from Latin canālis “waterpipe, conduit”; see canal

Origin of channel²

First recorded in 1760–70; variant of chain wale

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Explanation

A channel is a passageway, a means of access for a thing, a communication, or an idea. Think of a channel as sort of a tunnel or a funnel that moves something directly through. The noun channel can be used for many such avenues. It can mean a waterway such as the English Channel — the "Chunnel" is a tunnel beneath the Channel — or a means of accomplishing a goal, as in "going through legal channels." Use it as a verb when you channel your energies to achieve success.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

channel Channel channels channeled channelled channeling channelling

Gross margin slipped 30 basis points to 47%, primarily due to unfavorable foreign currency, channel and regional mix, as well as pricing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

"What Male State? Where have you seen it? It hasn't existed for many years," the message on the channel reads.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

Fox News has also broadened its base of advertisers in recent years and benefits from negotiated increases in revenue from cable and satellite providers that carry the channel.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026

The group launched a Telegram channel shortly before the attack and included a link to the page in the first message it sent through the system.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

I shall only channel the light for good.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

Dover MP Mike Tapp says smugglers will keep adapting after it was discovered that a boat stopped in the Channel with 38 migrants on board had launched from the Netherlands.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

A review was commissioned by Channel 4 shortly after the BBC first contacted the broadcaster, with details of the allegations we had heard.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

The charges all related to women who had come forward since the initial Channel 4 documentary.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

The big draw: The chance to mingle with more than 18 Hallmark Channel stars including amnesia man Daniel Lissing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

A TV blaring the Weather Channel in the common room went unwatched; the doors were mostly closed; the few people seated in the common room looked confused or blank or—worst of all—scared.

From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green

While Roku provides Fox with an opportunity to be more aggressive in marketing its channels, Fox has pledged that the platform will remain open to distributing content from competitors.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

And another important feature is that blades are cast with tiny channels that allow a flow of cooler air to coat them in a kind of film while the aircraft engine is working.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

The broader opportunity lies in using complex liquid mixtures to help form the tiny filtration channels needed to separate their components.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026

MS NOW is now owned by Versant, a group of cable channels spun off from NBCUniversal.

From Salon ● Nov. 4, 2026

Actual reports were carefully sent outside normal channels directly to Nixon, Kissinger, and a small handful of other officials.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

It was so much energy getting channeled into one big opting-out.

From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2026

The rapper has channeled his views on the conflict into his music, releasing his protest song “Hind’s Hall” in May 2024.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

When he sat down to write "Insidious: Out of the Further," the sixth installement of the blockbuster horror franchise, director Jacob Chase channeled his fears over a major life event: becoming a parent.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

Her disincentive is channeled directly into her $25 million paycheck, which obviously isn’t awarded for accurate reporting and analysis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

Studying with Patterson, she began to understand that the voice could be controlled and channeled.

From "The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights" by Russell Freedman

The "polka dot queen" channelled hallucinations and battles with mental health into vibrant art featuring her trademark dots, nets and infinity motifs over a career spanning decades and continents.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim intends to discuss "ensuring that oil supplies can continue to be channelled" to Malaysia, the country's national news agency reported.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

Their name is an anagram of the phrase "I'm Fearless", and those early songs channelled the girl group trope of combative, bulletproof confidence.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2026

But she's channelled that trauma and grief into action.

From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026

The fear in her voice channelled perfectly with the charmspeak.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

This was just me sort of channeling a sort of a Woody Guthrie type of thing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026

Andrew, were you channeling Peter Buck on guitar?

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

Friedman was, as usual, channeling mainstream foreign policy dogma, which briefly held that constructive change might emerge from the chaotic aftermath of the Oct.

From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026

A few years later, she was a regular on a soap opera, channeling her darkest fears into tears that would have adults heaping praise upon her.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

Qendrim’s knee was still throbbing, but channeling the toughness he’d learned from his professional-soccer-playing grandfather, Qendrim told Luma he was ready to go back in.

From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John

In September, Seoul announced plans for a 162.3 trillion won "Future Fund" next year, aimed at channelling record tax revenues from the country’s chip boom into long-term growth.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

By the age of 23, Jamal was a multimillionaire and channelling his success into helping others.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

The condition was that he must enrol in either tennis, badminton or fencing as a means of channelling focus.

From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2026

He has staked his leadership on aggressive reforms that aim to deliver double-digit growth, slashing bureaucratic red tape, empowering the private sector and channelling vast resources into mega-projects.

From Barron's ● Apr. 8, 2026

But when I write these letters to you, I feel as if I’m channelling the strength that you gave to me the day you broke your own heart to save our lives.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

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Related Words

• avenue
• carrier
• means
• medium
• route
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