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

Fonda said Redford loved to climb, once scaling the big spire of Westwood’s Fox Theater and breaking his arm climbing up his chimney one Christmas. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 1 May 2026

At the new Orkin Discovery Zone inside the Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta, visitors can learn how termites and the mounds these bulbous invertebrates make have inspired the chimneys in our homes. —Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 29 Apr. 2026

The top of her chimney was ripped from the house. —Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 27 Apr. 2026

Check for gaps where the chimney meets the house, and make sure chimney openings are covered properly. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 24 Apr. 2026

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