a vertical structure of brick, masonry, or steel that carries smoke or steam away from a fire, engine, etc - another name for
flue 1 1 - short for chimney stack
an open-ended glass tube fitting around the flame of an oil or gas lamp in order to exclude draughts a fireplace, esp an old and large one the vent of a volcano a vertical fissure large enough for a person's body to enter
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
chim•ney /ˈtʃɪmni/USA pronunciation
n. [countable], pl. -neys.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- a structure containing a passage by which the smoke, etc., of a fire or furnace are carried off.
- a tube surrounding the flame of a lamp.
chim•ney
(chim′nē),USA pronunciation n., pl. -neys, v., -neyed, -ney•ing.
n.
v.t.
v.i.
chim′ney•less, adj.
chim′ney•like′, adj.
n.
- a structure, usually vertical, containing a passage or flue by which the smoke, gases, etc., of a fire or furnace are carried off and by means of which a draft is created.
- Architecturethe part of such a structure that rises above a roof.
- Slang Terms[Now Rare.]the smokestack or funnel of a locomotive, steamship, etc.
- a tube, usually of glass, surrounding the flame of a lamp to promote combustion and keep the flame steady.
- Geology
- the vent of a volcano.
- a narrow vertical fissure between two rock faces or in a rock formation.
- Mininga nearly vertical cylindrical oreshoot.
- British Termsfireplace.
v.t.
- Sport[Mountain Climbing.]to ascend or descend (a chimney) by repeated bracing of one's feet or back and feet against opposite walls.
v.i.
- Sport[Mountain Climbing.]to ascend or descend a chimney.
- Greek kámīnos furnace) + -āta -ate1
- Latin (camera) camīnāta (room) having a fireplace, equivalent. to camīn(us) (
- Middle French cheminee
- Middle English chimenai 1300–50
chim′ney•like′, adj.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'chimney flue' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):