funnel

[fuhn-l] /ˈfʌn l/
noun
1.
a cone-shaped utensil with a tube at the apex for conducting liquid or other substance through a small opening, as into a bottle, jug, or the like.
2.
a smokestack, especially of a steamship.
3.
a flue, tube, or shaft, as for ventilation.
4.
Eastern New England. a stovepipe.
verb (used with object), funneled, funneling or (especially British) funnelled, funnelling.
5.
to concentrate, channel, or focus:
They funneled all income into research projects.
6.
to pour through or as if through a funnel.
verb (used without object), funneled, funneling or (especially British) funnelled, funnelling.
7.
to pass through or as if through a funnel.
Origin
1375-1425; late Middle English fonel < Old Provençal fonilh (Gascon) < Vulgar Latin *fundibulum, for Latin infundibulum, derivative of infundere to pour in
Related forms
funnellike, adjective
Examples from the web for funnel
  • He was watching the smoke curl slowly upward from the funnel of a tramp steamer that had.
  • Still, you have the chance to funnel life-changing knowledge to rich students.
  • Corn dogs, funnel cake-burst seams are made of these.
  • Remove the bottle cap and place the neck of the funnel into the mouth of the bottle.
  • Feed meat into funnel and grind, stopping to clear the grinder if necessary.
  • Then he opened up the funnel so the pitch could leak out.
  • It's a new take on a peacoat with an extended funnel neck.
  • Filling the top of the funnel equated to more at the bottom.
  • Which brings us to managing that serendipity funnel.
  • In a tornado, a swirling funnel of air stretches from the storm cloud to the ground.
British Dictionary definitions for funnel

funnel

/ˈfʌnəl/
noun
1.
a hollow utensil with a wide mouth tapering to a small hole, used for pouring liquids, powders, etc, into a narrow-necked vessel
2.
something resembling this in shape or function
3.
a smokestack for smoke and exhaust gases, as on a steamship or steam locomotive
4.
a shaft or tube, as in a building, for ventilation
verb -nels, nelling, -nelled (US) -nels, -neling, -neled
5.
to move or cause to move or pour through or as if through a funnel
6.
to concentrate or focus or be concentrated or focused in a particular direction: they funnelled their attention on the problem
7.
(intransitive) to take on a funnel-like shape
Derived Forms
funnel-like, adjective
Word Origin
C15: from Old Provençal fonilh, ultimately from Latin infundibulum funnel, hopper (in a mill), from infundere to pour in
Word Origin and History for funnel
n.

c.1400, from Middle French fonel, from Provençal enfounilh, "a word from the Southern wine trade" [Weekley], from Late Latin fundibulum, shortened from Latin infundibulum "a funnel or hopper in a mill," from infundere "pour in," from in- "in" + fundere "pour" (see found (v.2)).

v.

1590s, from funnel (n.). Related: Funneled; funneling.