chimney

noun

chim·​ney ˈchim-nē 

plural chimneys

1

dialect : fireplace, hearth

2

: a vertical structure incorporated into a building and enclosing a flue or flues that carry off smoke

especially : the part of such a structure extending above a roof

3

: smokestack

4

: a tube usually of glass placed around a flame (as of a lamp)

5

: something resembling a chimney: such as

a

: a narrow cleft or passage in rock

b

: a tall column of rock on the ocean floor that is formed by the precipitation of minerals from superheated water issuing from a hydrothermal vent and rising through the column of rock

chimneylike

ˈchim-nē-ˌlīk 

adjective

Examples of chimney in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Video footage shared by the local news outlets showed emergency responders using a rope system to pull the woman out of the chimney. —David Chiu, People.com, 6 Aug. 2025

At one home, a bullet penetrated a chimney, and at the other, at least three bullets went through a sliding glass door, police said, adding that a woman inside suffered a minor cut from broken glass. —Jason Green, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2025

Squirrels may come in under the eaves, gable vent, behind chimneys, where rooflines intersect, or between the soffit board and the rain gutter. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 1 Aug. 2025

Owens was unhurt, but the same could not be said of the building, which was damaged along with the chimney itself, Wilson said. —Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 23 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French chiminee, from Late Latin caminata, from Latin caminus furnace, fireplace, from Greek kaminos; perhaps akin to Greek kamara vault

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing chimney

• chimney breast
• chimney pot
• chimney stack
• chimney sweep
• chimney swift
• smoke like a chimney

Kids Definition

chimney

noun

chim·​ney ˈchim-nē 

plural chimneys

1

: a vertical structure extending above the roof of a building for carrying off smoke

2

: a tube usually of glass around a flame (as of a lamp)

3

: something resembling a chimney