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chute

noun
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\ ˈshüt How to pronounce chute (audio) \
variants: or less commonly

Definition of chute

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1a : fall sense 6b
b : 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

chute

verb
chuted; chuting

Definition of chute (Entry 2 of 2)

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)

Examples of chute in a Sentence

Noun She dropped the towels into the laundry chute. children sliding down a water chute The skiers came racing down the chute.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Bring your own toboggan or rent one for the 350-foot trip down the lighted chute. — Chelsey Lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Wisconsin winter bucket list: 12 things you have to do," 2 Jan. 2020 Investigators believe that Barron, who had been drinking heavily that night, fell through a trash chute, five stories to his death. — Mary Kilpatrick, cleveland, "Ebola terrifies Northeast Ohio, Johnny Football comes to town: Biggest talkers of the 2010s," 30 Dec. 2019 In the finish chute, dozens of runners congratulated Norris for putting an Alaskan back in the Mount Marathon record book. — Beth Bragg, Anchorage Daily News, "The final countdown: Our top 3 Alaska sports stories of the decade," 29 Dec. 2019 The new terrain, which is around Lift 9, will feature chutes and rock drops. — John Meyer, The Know, "From a new lift to added terrain, here’s what’s new at Colorado ski areas this season," 20 Nov. 2019 The uncrewed capsule made a soft return to earth with just the two chutes, and NASA and Boeing declared the test a success. — Washington Post, "Boeing faced only ‘limited’ safety review from NASA while SpaceX got a full examination," 18 Nov. 2019 Telluride Ski Resort will open 40 new acres of north-facing gladed terrain for advanced skiers seeking chutes and rocks. — Elaine Glusac, chicagotribune.com, "What’s new this ski season, from terrain parks and pass wars to dark-sky intrigues," 4 Nov. 2019 The home has a Savant smart-home system and comes with a built-in laundry chute and dual washer and dryers. — Ebony Day, azcentral, "Scottsdale mansion in DC Ranch with oversize 4-car garage sells for $3.34M," 4 Nov. 2019 Visitors can race each other on the dual, 65-foot-high refrigerated chutes. — Shirley Macfarland, cleveland, "Snow or no snow – doesn’t matter at The Chalet’s toboggan chutes: Strong Points," 6 Dec. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb As a result, when the pilot chutes deployed to pull out the mains, one of them was not properly connected. — William Harwood, CBS News, "Boeing identifies rigging problem with Starliner parachute," 7 Nov. 2019 The animal chutes blocked the escape as the oil and wax that had been used to waterproof the tent caught fire and turned the big top into a raging inferno. — Steven Goode, courant.com, "His mother died saving his life during the Hartford Circus Fire, but Jerry LeVasseur turned a catastrophe into a lifetime of opportunity," 6 July 2019 The clouds of jumpers, with round ‘chutes akin to those used by D-Day soldiers, were honoring the thousands of paratroopers who leapt into gunfire and death 75 years ago. — Washington Post, "‘Woo-hoo!’ At 97, D-Day veteran parachutes into Normandy," 6 June 2019

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.

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First Known Use of chute

Noun

1805, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1884, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

History and Etymology for chute

Noun

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

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Time Traveler for chute

Time Traveler

The first known use of chute was in 1805

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Statistics for chute

Last Updated

23 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Chute.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chute. Accessed 23 January 2020.

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More Definitions for chute

chute

noun
How to pronounce chute (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of chute

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

See the full definition for chute in the English Language Learners Dictionary

chute

noun
\ ˈshüt \

Kids Definition of chute

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 : parachute entry 1

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More from Merriam-Webster on chute

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with chute

Spanish Central: Translation of chute

Nglish: Translation of chute for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of chute for Arabic Speakers

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