tunneling

American  

[tuhn-uhl-ing] / ˈtʌn əl ɪŋ /

noun

tunnelings plural

1. the act or process of creating a tunnel.

2. Physics. in quantum mechanics, the phenomenon in which a particle passes through a potential barrier that it would not be able to cross under classical physics; the probability of tunneling depends on the thickness of the barrier and the energy of the particle.

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tunneling Scientific  

/ tŭn′ə-lĭng /

1. See quantum tunneling

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cotunneling
  noun
• anti-tunneling
  adjective
• non-tunneling
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• tunnelings
  plural

Example Sentences

According to the researchers, satellite glial cells appear to pass healthy mitochondria directly into sensory neurons through tiny structures known as tunneling nanotubes.

From Science Daily • May 24, 2026

This compact book weaves together topics including the microscopic quantum tunneling required for nuclear fusion and the macroscopic geometry of spacetime.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

Longtime critics of subways used the explosion to stoke community fears that tunneling would lead to exploding homes.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

There is so much history buried beneath the ground that we seem to forget, and once you start tunneling, you realize that it’s always been there and it hasn’t disappeared.

From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026

I suppose the mice went right on tunneling to the grasses and the mosses and had no trouble staying alive, but I did wonder how The Baron Weasel was doing.

From "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George