chute

play

noun \ˈshüt\

variants: or less commonly

shute

Definition of chute

1a : fall 6bb : a quick descent (as in a river) : rapid
2 : an inclined plane, sloping channel, or passage down or through which things may pass : slide
3 : parachute
4 : spinnaker

See chute defined for English-language learners

See chute defined for kids

Examples of chute in a Sentence

She dropped the towels into the laundry chute.
children sliding down a water chute
The skiers came racing down the chute.

Recent Examples of chute from the Web

The bull, No. 3130, threw him shortly after exiting the chute.

— marty price, charlotteobserver, "So you think you want to be a bull rider", 26 June 2017
Passengers evacuated the plane via emergency chutes.

— tonya alanez, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Smokey cockpit forces flight to Lauderdale to make emergency landing", 23 June 2017
The chute where feed was funneled from the silo into the barn is still there, though large round rocks have now spilled inside into a pile.

— john carlisle, Detroit Free Press, "Historic barn on Leelanau Peninsula faces demolition", 22 June 2017
The majority of the trail through the Sierra remains covered in deep snow, with steep snow chutes and roiling mountain streams.

— paige st. john, latimes.com, "Skiers hit the slopes in bikini tops as California's endless winter endures a heat wave", 20 June 2017
Lukas Loran of Weatherford placed fourth in the finals of chute dogging.

— rick mauch, star-telegram, "Sports Notebook: Weatherford's Pytlik wins NTHSRA Finals", 6 June 2017
According to Connecticut History, the chemical corporation worked with the Pioneer Parachute Company and the Cheney Brothers Company, a silkmaker, to build a better ‘chute.

— kat eschner, Smithsonian, "Meet the Daredevil Parachutist Who Tested the First Nylon Parachute 75 Years Ago", 6 June 2017
Afterward, hundreds of spectators stayed to watch Luiz and Fields load the cattle up chutes into waiting trailers at Ruocco Park.

— pam kragen, sandiegouniontribune.com, "200 cows take over downtown San Diego streets in historic cattle drive", 3 June 2017
Only experts should attempt Class V waters due to steep chutes, difficult routes and rough rapids with little time to rest between each obstacle.

— meredith c. carroll, The Know, "Whitewater rafting in Colorado: Everything you need to know before you go", 2 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chute'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of chute

French, from Old French, from cheoir to fall, from Latin cadere — more at chance

NEW!

First Known Use: 1805

See Words from the same year

Other Geology Terms

anthracite, boulder, cwm, erratic, igneous, intrusive, mesa, sedimentary, silt, swale

chute

verb

Definition of chute

chuted

;

chuting

transitive verb
: to convey by a chute
intransitive verb
1 : to go in or as if in a chute
2 : to utilize a chute (as by passing ore down it)

First Known Use of chute

1884

CHUTE Defined for English Language Learners

chute

play

noun

Definition of chute for English Language Learners

: a narrow tube or passage that things and people go down or through

CHUTE Defined for Kids

chute

noun \ˈshüt\

Definition of chute for Students

1 : a tube or passage down or through which people slide or things are slid or dropped a laundry chute Children slid down the chute.
2 : ¹parachute