rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryfunnelNarrowing channel
noun / verb

funnel

FUHN-uhl/ˈfʌnl/

A tapering passage that channels material into a narrow outlet.

The funnel guides water from the measuring jug into the bottle's narrow neck.

A large cone-shaped funnel sits in the narrow neck of a clear bottle while a tilted measuring jug pours water into its wide mouth.
Etymology
funnelLatinfunnel, hopper

Latin fundibulum named a funnel or hopper and was ultimately based on a verb meaning 'pour in.' The name describes the tool's job of directing liquid into a narrow opening.

In context

USDA NRCS South Dakota1:26
that funnel that's actually moving that runoff into a catch jar
USDA NRCS South Dakota Rainfall Simulator - Cropland and Rangeland

More examples

  • The funnel channels grain into a sack below.
  • He funnels the juice into small jars.
  • The barriers funnel pedestrians toward a single entrance.

Forms

funnel · funnels · funneled · funneling

Similar words

hopper
A container that feeds loose material through a bottom opening.
chute
A sloping passage that guides material downward without necessarily narrowing.
channel
A passage that directs flow but need not taper.