smokestack

1 of 2

noun

smoke·​stack ˈsmōk-ˌstak 

: a pipe or funnel through which smoke and gases are discharged

smokestack

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, being, or characterized by manufacturing and especially heavy industry

smokestack industries

Examples of smokestack in a Sentence

Adjective

She invested in smokestack stocks.

Car manufacturing and other smokestack industries need to adapt to the global economy.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But there are also smokestacks and men in neon jumpsuits milling among the clank and crash of industry as wisps of smoke and vapor drift overhead. — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 15 May 2026

The storm also sheered off about nearly two-thirds of the plant smokestack that measured 20 feet across and 225 feet high. — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 3 June 2026

Adjective

When companies have to pay for pollution, there’s less need for micromanaging laws requiring such items as smokestack scrubbers. — Froma Harrop, The Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2017

Government and household consumption drove more than two thirds economic growth in the first quarter, highlighting the shift toward depending on services and away from smokestack sectors. — Bloomberg.com, 14 June 2017

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1838, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1926, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for smokestack

• almanac
• camelback
• cardiac
• carryback
• cluniac
• diamondback
• lumberjack
• maniac
• paperback
• piggyback
• quarterback
• saddleback

Kids Definition

smokestack

noun

smoke·​stack

ˈsmōk-ˌstak

: a large chimney or pipe for carrying away smoke (as on a factory or ship)