Definitions for tunnel
ˈtʌn ltun·nel

Princeton's WordNet(5.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. tunnel(noun)

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

   "the tunnel reduced congestion at that intersection"

2. burrow, tunnel(verb)

   a hole made by an animal, usually for shelter

3. burrow, tunnel(verb)

   move through by or as by digging

   "burrow through the forest"

4. tunnel(verb)

   force a way through

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. tunnel(Noun)

   An underground or underwater passage.

   Etymology: From tonnelle.

2. tunnel(Noun)

   A passage through or under some obstacle.

   Etymology: From tonnelle.

3. tunnel(Noun)

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

   Etymology: From tonnelle.

4. tunnel(Verb)

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

   Etymology: From tonnelle.

5. tunnel(Verb)

   To make a tunnel.

   Etymology: From tonnelle.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

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. Tunnel(verb)

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

6. Tunnel(verb)

   to catch in a tunnel net

7. Tunnel(verb)

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

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

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(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

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(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

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  

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

How to pronounce tunnel?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

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. President Bill Raney:

   We have had a lot to talk about over the last eight years and about how the people of Appalachia have been sorely affected by the policies of this administration, people in this area are hunting for hope and wanting to see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Donald Trump is showing us that light.

2. Charles Krauthammer:

   I suspect from what they tell us this is an ISIS base, an ISIS tunnel, which tells you, number one that ISIS is more entrenched than we would have thought – you have this notion of ISIS being sort of a band of jihadists just running around, but this is pretty entrenched.

3. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan:

   The US said that Baghdadi killed himself in a tunnel and started a serious PR campaign. We captured his wife, but we didn't make a fuss, I'm declaring this for the first time.

4. Joe Biden:

   Look, everybody faces pain, everybody has trauma. There's addiction in every family. I was in that darkness. I was in that tunnel -- it's a never-ending tunnel. You don't get rid of it. You figure out how to deal with it.

5. Anonymous:

   Due to budget cuts the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off.

Images & Illustrations of tunnel

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