noun / verb
chimney
CHIM-nee/ˈtʃɪmni/
A narrow upright passage that channels rising gases.
Smoke rises from the fireplace through the chimney.
Etymology
Latin caminata referred to a fireplace or a room containing one. English chimney initially meant a furnace, then came to name the vertical passage that carries smoke away from the fire.
In context
… fumes and smoke from a fire lit during a late cold spell can suffocate nestlings in the chimney …
More examples
- A glass chimney surrounds the lamp's flame.
- The climber works upward through the rock chimney.
- They chimneyed between the opposing rock walls.
Forms
chimney · chimneys · chimneyed · chimneying
Similar words
- flue
- The passage carrying smoke, often inside the larger chimney structure.
- vent
- A broader opening or passage for air or gas.