siphon

or sy·phon

[ sahy-fuhn ]

See synonyms for: siphon siphoned siphoning on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.
siphon bottle.

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

verb (used with or without object)

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.

Origin of siphon

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

Other words from siphon

si·phon·al, si·phon·ic [sahy-fon-ik], /saɪˈfɒn ɪk/, adjective
si·phon·less, adjective
si·phon·like, adjective
pseu·do·si·phon·al, adjective
pseu·do·si·phon·ic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use siphon in a sentence

Perhaps these workers did not want their dues siphoned off for political activity.
Justice Thomas Is Right About America’s Obsession With Race | Ron Christie | February 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Though the Post has the top job site in Washington, competitors like Monster and Craigslist have siphoned off much of the revenue.
Washington Post’s Katharine Weymouth Offers the ‘Story Behind the Story’ | Eleanor Clift | March 10, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Investigators believe Taylor siphoned hundreds of millions of dollars out of Liberia —and engaged in the blood diamond trade.
War Criminal Charles Taylor’s Daughter Defends Her Dad | Robtel Neajai Pailey | April 27, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
But in fact, Bush had merely siphoned off a few conservative Democrats, while making barely any compromises on substance.
Obama's Role Model Is... Bush? | Peter Beinart | January 8, 2009 | THE DAILY BEAST
Spyridiace—Frond thread-like, jointed, one-siphoned, more or less covered with small cells.
The Sea Shore | William S. Furneaux

Ceramiace—Frond thread-like, jointed, one-siphoned, and more or less covered with a layer of cortical cells.
The Sea Shore | William S. Furneaux
Its weight may be inferred from the fact that it can be siphoned, or poured like water, from one vessel downward into another.
An Elementary Study of Chemistry | William McPherson
The clear water is then siphoned or poured off and the glaze is ready for use.
The Potter's Craft | Charles F. Binns
The clear water on top is siphoned off and the paste dried sufficiently to handle.
Pottery, for Artists Craftsmen & Teachers | George J. Cox

British Dictionary definitions for siphon

siphon

syphon

/ (ˈsaɪfən) /

noun

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
See soda siphon

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

verb

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

Origin of siphon

C17: from Latin sīphō, from Greek siphōn siphon

Derived forms of siphon

siphonage, noun
siphonal or siphonic (saɪˈfɒnɪk), adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for siphon

siphon

[ sī′fən ]

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

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