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DictionaryshaftVertical passage
noun

shaft

A vertical or sloping passage through a mine or building.

The elevator moves up and down inside a narrow shaft.

Etymology
shaftOld Englishshaft; pole

The word for a long narrow rod extended to a long narrow opening. The passage resembles the rod in its elongated shape, especially when vertical.

More examples

  • Miners descend the shaft in a steel cage.
  • Fresh air enters the basement through a ventilation shaft.
  • The sloping shaft leads to a deeper part of the mine.

Forms

shaft · shafts

Similar words

tunnel
Usually runs horizontally underground rather than vertically through levels.
passage
A broader term for a route connecting places or spaces.