siphon

Or sy·phon

[sahy-fuhn]

noun

1. a tube or conduit bent into legs of unequal length, for use in drawing a liquid from one container into another on a lower level by placing the shorter leg into the container above and the longer leg into the one below, the liquid being forced up the shorter leg and into the longer one by the pressure of the atmosphere.

2. siphon bottle.

3. a projecting tubular part of some animals, especially certain mollusks, through which liquid enters or leaves the body.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to convey, draw, or pass through or as if through a siphon (sometimes followed byoff ).

   to siphon water; to siphon off profits into a secret bank account.

siphon

/ saɪˈfɒnɪk, ˈsaɪfən /

noun

1. a tube placed with one end at a certain level in a vessel of liquid and the other end outside the vessel below this level, so that liquid pressure forces the liquid through the tube and out of the vessel by gravity

2. See soda siphon

3. zoology any of various tubular organs in different aquatic animals, such as molluscs and elasmobranch fishes, through which a fluid, esp water, passes

verb

1. (often foll by off) to pass or draw off through or as if through a siphon

siphon

1. A pipe or tube in the form of an upside-down U, filled with liquid and arranged so that the pressure of the atmosphere forces liquid to flow upward from a container through the tube, over a barrier, and into a lower container.

2. A tubular animal part, as of a clam, through which water is taken in or expelled.

Other Word Forms

• siphonal adjective
• siphonic adjective
• siphonless adjective
• siphonlike adjective
• pseudosiphonal adjective
• pseudosiphonic adjective
• siphonage noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of siphon¹

1650–60; < Latin sīphōn- (stem of sīphō ) < Greek síphōn, sī́phōn pipe, tube

Word History and Origins

Origin of siphon¹

C17: from Latin sīphō, from Greek siphōn siphon

Example Sentences

Now, a slew of LNG terminals are under construction and set to siphon prodigious amounts of natural gas.

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TV cameras focus on coaches and players who look as if they made a mistake siphoning gasoline.

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Minow’s FCC feared that the new rivals would threaten the “public interest” by siphoning off broadcasting profit.

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Nothing deterred the terror group from its fundamentalist goals, even as Hamas siphoned billions meant for civilians—including U.S.

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It saw US user data siphoned off under concerns it could fall into the hands of the Chinese government.

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