What does Tunnel mean?

Definitions for Tunnel
ˈtʌn ltun·nel

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word Tunnel.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. tunnelnoun

    a passageway through or under something, usually underground (especially one for trains or cars)

    "the tunnel reduced congestion at that intersection"

  2. burrow, tunnelverb

    a hole made by an animal, usually for shelter

  3. burrow, tunnelverb

    move through by or as by digging

    "burrow through the forest"

  4. tunnelverb

    force a way through

Wiktionary

  1. tunnelnoun

    An underground or underwater passage.

  2. tunnelnoun

    A passage through or under some obstacle.

  3. tunnelnoun

    A hole in the ground made by an animal, a burrow.

  4. tunnelverb

    To make a tunnel through or under something, to burrow.

  5. tunnelverb

    To make a tunnel.

  6. Etymology: From tonnelle.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Tunnelnoun

    It was a vault ybuilt for great dispence,
    With many ranges rear’d along the wall,
    And one great chimney, whose long tunnel thence
    The smoak forth threw. Fairy Queen.

    The water being rarified, and by rarification resolved into wind, will force up the smoke, which otherwise might linger in the tunnel, and oftentimes reverse. Henry Wotton, Arch.

    For the help of the hearing, make an instrument like a tunnel, the narrow part of the bigness of the hole of the ear, and the broader end much larger. Francis Bacon.

  2. To Tunnelverb

    Etymology: from the noun.

    The Phalænæ tribe inhabit the tunnelled, convolved leaves. William Derham, Physico-Theology.

    Some birds not only weave the fibrous parts of vegetables, and curiously tunnel them into nests, but artificially suspend them on the twigs of trees. William Derham.

Wikipedia

  1. Tunnel

    A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube construction techniques rather than traditional tunnel boring methods. A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. The central portions of a rapid transit network are usually in the tunnel. Some tunnels are used as sewers or aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations. Utility tunnels are used for routing steam, chilled water, electrical power or telecommunication cables, as well as connecting buildings for convenient passage of people and equipment. Secret tunnels are built for military purposes, or by civilians for smuggling of weapons, contraband, or people. Special tunnels, such as wildlife crossings, are built to allow wildlife to cross human-made barriers safely. Tunnels can be connected together in tunnel networks.

ChatGPT

  1. tunnel

    A tunnel is a man-made underground passageway that is dug through soil, rock, or other materials, and is typically used for transportation purposes. It is enclosed on all sides, except for the openings at each end, often equipped with lighting and ventilation systems. Tunnels can be used by vehicles, trains, or even built for utilities such as water and electricity.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Tunnel

    a vessel with a broad mouth at one end, a pipe or tube at the other, for conveying liquor, fluids, etc., into casks, bottles, or other vessels; a funnel

  2. Tunnel

    the opening of a chimney for the passage of smoke; a flue; a funnel

  3. Tunnel

    an artificial passage or archway for conducting canals or railroads under elevated ground, for the formation of roads under rivers or canals, and the construction of sewers, drains, and the like

  4. Tunnel

    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

  5. Tunnelverb

    to form into a tunnel, or funnel, or to form like a tunnel; as, to tunnel fibrous plants into nests

  6. Tunnelverb

    to catch in a tunnel net

  7. Tunnelverb

    to make an opening, or a passageway, through or under; as, to tunnel a mountain; to tunnel a river

Wikidata

  1. Tunnel

    A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. The central portions of a rapid transit network are usually built in tunnels. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers. Utility tunnels are used for routing steam, chilled water, electrical power. or telecommunication cables, as well as connecting buildings for convenient passage of people and equipment. Secret tunnels are built for military purposes, or by civilians for smuggling of weapons, contraband, or people. Special tunnels, such as wildlife crossings, are built to allow wildlife to cross human-made barriers safely.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Tunnel

    tun′el, n. an arched passage cut through a hill or under a river, &c.: the long underground burrow of certain animals, as the mole: any mine-level open at one end: (Spens.) a flue, chimney.—v.t. to make a passage through: to hollow out:—pr.p. tunn′elling; pa.t. and pa.p. tunn′elled.n. Tunn′el-net, a net wide at the mouth and narrow at the other end. [O. Fr. tonnel (Fr. tonneau), a cask; also O. Fr. tonnelle, an arched vault, dim. of tonne, a cask.]

Editors Contribution

  1. tunnel

    A type of space and structure created and designed in various colors, materials, mechanisms, shapes, styles and sizes for a specific purpose.

    Tunnels are necessary in certain parts of the e.g. through the alps & the channel tunnel.


    Submitted by MaryC on December 19, 2019  

Matched Categories

British National Corpus

  1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'Tunnel' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #3965

  2. Written Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'Tunnel' in Written Corpus Frequency: #4383

  3. Nouns Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'Tunnel' in Nouns Frequency: #1408

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

Anagrams for Tunnel »

  1. unlent

  2. nunlet

How to pronounce Tunnel?

How to say Tunnel in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of Tunnel in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of Tunnel in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of Tunnel in a Sentence

  1. Jordan Patch:

    Animal Adventure is no stranger to having awesome happenings and experiences, and here we are today going into 2021 with some light at the end of the tunnel, and it's bright, it's white, and its name is Cosmo.

  2. Chief Executive Stanley Erck:

    We know that we’re delayed from where we thought we’d be at this point, now we’re giving guidance that nearly all of the major challenges have been overcome and we can clearly see the light at the end of the tunnel.

  3. Ariel Muzicant:

    It reminds me of the economy and the industry of the Third Reich, i am glad to help you with my tunnel boring machines.

  4. Philippe Louis-Dreyfus:

    I don't see the end of the tunnel for another 18 months to two years, it worries me that some ship owners are saying things are picking up again.

  5. Doan Van Viet:

    We're trying our best to provide oxygen ... we've drilled holes in several spots but there's a large amount of rocks and dirt falling and the geological structure is complicated, the rescue conditions are very difficult with the rain, heavy winds, narrow tunnel and rising water.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

Tunnel#1#6860#10000

Translations for Tunnel

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

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"Tunnel." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 21 Feb. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/Tunnel>.

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