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 by off ):

   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

/ sī′fən /

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.

Derived Forms

• ˈsiphonage, noun
• ˈsiphonal, adjective

Other Words From

• siphon·al si·phon·ic [sahy-, fon, -ik], adjective
• siphon·less adjective
• siphon·like adjective
• pseudo·siphon·al adjective
• pseudo·si·phonic adjective

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

Like many mosquito larvae, they often dangle head down in the water, taking in oxygen through a flexible siphon.

From Science News

After training, his lab witnessed new synaptic growth between the sensory neuron that felt touch and the motor neuron that triggered the siphon withdrawal reflex.

From Nautilus

First, they allow Paul to siphon off attention from whichever potential candidate is making news.

From The Daily Beast

What are the economic factors in play when you siphon off access to the coasts?

From The Daily Beast

How sick do you have to be to siphon money away from an event for the needy?

From The Daily Beast

“In order to save the day, I had to siphon gasoline out of a car, which involved me sucking it out of a tube,” said Donahue.

From The Daily Beast

By the end of 1983, Wilson had managed to siphon $300 million of unused Pentagon cash to the Afghan mujahideen.

From The Daily Beast

The homemade siphon shown in the sketch consists of two rubber corks and a glass tube with a rubber hose connected to it.

From Project Gutenberg

He was back again in a trice, a flask in one hand, a soda siphon in the other, and a small glass balanced on his thumb.

From Project Gutenberg

So saying he dispensed whisky and cigarettes, there being a siphon and glasses, and three matches in a match-stand, on the table.

From Project Gutenberg

Now, are we going to discuss this thing rationally, or do you want to hit me with a heavy siphon?

From Project Gutenberg

Sir William Thomson's siphon recorder, in all its present completeness, must take rank as a masterpiece of invention.

From Project Gutenberg