Tunnel

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: tun=nel

CIDE DICTIONARY

Tunnel, n. [F. tonnelle a semicircular, wagon-headed vault, a tunnel net, an arbor, OF. also tonnel; dim. of tonne a tun; -- so named from its resemblance to a tun in shape. See Ton.].

•  A vessel with a broad mouth at one end, and a pipe or tube at the other, for conveying liquor, fluids, etc., into casks, bottles, or other vessels; a funnel.  [1913 Webster]
•  The opening of a chimney for the passage of smoke; a flue; a funnel.  [1913 Webster]

  "And one great chimney, whose long tunnel thence
  The smoke forth threw."  [1913 Webster]
•  An artificial passage or archway for conducting canals, roads, or railroads under elevated ground, for the formation of roads under rivers or canals, and the construction of sewers, drains, and the like.  [1913 Webster]
•  A level passage driven across the measures, or at right angles to veins which it is desired to reach; -- distinguished from the drift, or gangway, which is led along the vein when reached by the tunnel.  [1913 Webster]

Tunnel head (Metal.), the top of a smelting furnace where the materials are put in. -- Tunnel kiln, a limekiln in which coal is burned, as distinguished from a flame kiln, in which wood or peat is used. -- Tunnel net, a net with a wide mouth at one end and narrow at the other. -- Tunnel pit, Tunnel shaft, a pit or shaft sunk from the top of the ground to the level of a tunnel, for drawing up the earth and stones, for ventilation, lighting, and the like.

Tunnel, v. t. 

•  To form into a tunnel, or funnel, or to form like a tunnel; as, to tunnel fibrous plants into nests.  Derham.  [1913 Webster]
•  To catch in a tunnel net.  [1913 Webster]
•  To make an opening, or a passageway, through or under; as, to tunnel a mountain; to tunnel a river.  [1913 Webster]

Tunnel, v. i. 

 To make a tunnel; as, to tunnel under a river.  [PJC]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Tunnel, n. & v.
--n.
1 an artificial underground passage through a hill or under a road or river etc., esp. for a railway or road to pass through, or in a mine.
2 an underground passage dug by a burrowing animal.
3 a prolonged period of difficulty or suffering (esp. in metaphors, e.g. the end of the tunnel).
4 a tube containing a propeller shaft etc.
--v. (tunnelled, tunnelling; US tunneled, tunneling)
1 intr. (foll. by through, into, etc.) make a tunnel through (a hill etc.).
2 tr. make (one's way) by tunnelling.
3 intr. Physics pass through a potential barrier.

Idiom

tunnel diode Electronics a two-terminal semiconductor diode using tunnelling electrons to perform high-speed switching operations. tunnel-kiln a kiln in which ceramic ware is carried on trucks along a continuously-heated passage. tunnel-net a fishing-net wide at the mouth and narrow at the other end. tunnel vision
1 vision that is defective in not adequately including objects away from the centre of the field of view.
2 colloq. inability to grasp the wider implications of a situation.

Derivative

tunneller n.

Etymology

ME f. OF tonel dimin. of tonne TUN

THESAURUS

Tunnel

abri, access, adit, aisle, alley, ambulatory, antre, aperture, approach trench, arcade, artery, avenue, bore, bunker, burrow, cave, cavern, channel, cloister, colonnade, communication, communication trench, conduit, connection, corridor, couch, countermine, countersink, coupure, course, cove, covered way, covert, deepen, defile, delve, den, depress, dig, dig out, dike, ditch, dive, double sap, dredge, drill, drive, duct, dugout, earth, egress, entrance, entrenchment, excavate, exit, ferry, fire trench, flying sap, ford, form, fortified tunnel, fosse, foxhole, furrow, gallery, gouge, gouge out, groove, grot, grotto, grub, hole, ingress, inlet, interchange, intersection, junction, lair, lane, lodge, lower, mew, mine, moat, opening, outlet, overpass, parallel, pass, passage, passageway, penetrate, portico, quarry, railroad tunnel, run, sap, scoop, scoop out, scrabble, scrape, scratch, sewer, shaft, shovel, sink, slit trench, spade, subterrane, subway, traject, trajet, trench, trough, troughing, troughway, underpass, warren, way

ROGET THESAURUS

Tunnel

Method

N method, way, manner, wise, gait, form, mode, fashion, tone, guise, modus operandi, MO, procedure, path, road, route, course, line of way, line of road, trajectory, orbit, track, beat, tack, steps, stair, staircase, flight of stairs, ladder, stile, perron, bridge, footbridge, viaduct, pontoon, steppingstone, plank, gangway, drawbridge, pass, ford, ferry, tunnel, pipe, door, gateway, channel, passage, avenue, means of access, approach, adit, artery, lane, loan, alley, aisle, lobby, corridor, back-door, back-stairs, secret passage, covert way, vennel, roadway, pathway, stairway, express, thoroughfare, highway, turnpike, freeway, royal road, coach road, broad highway, King's highway, Queen's highway, beaten track, beaten path, horse road, bridle road, bridle track, bridle path, walk, trottoir, footpath, pavement, flags, sidewalk, crossroad, byroad, bypath, byway, cut, short cut carrefour, private road, occupation road, highways and byways, railroad, railway, tram road, tramway, towpath, causeway, canal, street, speedway, adv, how, in what way, in what manner, by what mode, so, in this way, after this fashion, one way or another, anyhow, somehow or other, by way of, via, in transitu, on the high road to, hae tibi erunt artes.

Concavity

VB be concave, retire, cave in, render concave, depress, hollow, scoop, scoop out, gouge, gouge out, dig, delve, excavate, dent, dint, mine, sap, undermine, burrow, tunnel, stave in.

Opening

N opening, hole, foramen, puncture, perforation, fontanel, transforation, pinhole, keyhole, loophole, porthole, peephole, mousehole, pigeonhole, eye of a needle, eyelet, slot, opening, aperture, apertness, hiation, yawning, oscitancy, dehiscence, patefaction, pandiculation, chasm, embrasure, window, casement, abatjour, light, sky light, fan light, lattice, bay window, bow window, oriel, dormer, lantern, outlet, inlet, vent, vomitory, embouchure, orifice, mouth, sucker, muzzle, throat, gullet, weasand, wizen, nozzle, placket, portal, porch, gate, ostiary, postern, wicket, trapdoor, hatch, door, arcade, cellarway, driveway, gateway, doorway, hatchway, gangway, lich gate, way, path, thoroughfare, channel, passage, passageway, tube, pipe, water pipe, air pipe, vessel, tubule, canal, gut, fistula, adjutage, ajutage, ostium, smokestack, chimney, flue, tap, funnel, gully, tunnel, main, mine, pit, adit, shaft, gallery, alley, aisle, glade, vista, bore, caliber, pore, blind orifice, fulgurite, thundertube, porousness, porosity, sieve, cullender, colander, cribble, riddle, screen, honeycomb, apertion, perforation, piercing, terebration, empalement, pertusion, puncture, acupuncture, penetration, key, opener, master key, password, combination, passe- partout, open, perforated, perforate, wide open, ajar, unclosed, unstopped, oscitant, gaping, yawning, patent, tubular, cannular, fistulous, pervious, permeable, foraminous, vesicular, vasicular, porous, follicular, cribriform, honeycombed, infundibular, riddled, tubulous, tubulated, piped, tubate, opening, aperient, Int, open sesame!.

VB open, ope, gape, yawn, bilge, fly open, perforate, pierce, empierce, tap, bore, drill, mine, tunnel, transpierce, transfix, enfilade, impale, spike, spear, gore, spit, stab, pink, puncture, lance, stick, prick, riddle, punch, stave in, cut a passage through, make way for, make room for, uncover, unclose, unrip, lay open, cut open, rip open, throw open, pop open, blow open, pry open, tear open, pull open.

Conduit

N conduit, channel, duct, watercourse, race, head race, tail race, abito, aboideau, aboiteau, bito, acequia, acequiador, acequiamadre, arroyo, adit, aqueduct, canal, trough, gutter, pantile, flume, ingate, runner, lock-weir, tedge, vena, dike, main, gully, moat, ditch, drain, sewer, culvert, cloaca, sough, kennel, siphon, piscina, pipe, funnel, tunnel, water pipe, waste pipe, emunctory, gully hole, artery, aorta, pore, spout, scupper, adjutage, ajutage, hose, gargoyle, gurgoyle, penstock, weir, flood gate, water gate, sluice, lock, valve, rose, waterworks, pipeline, vascular.