chute

1 of 2

noun

ˈshüt 

variants or less commonly shute

1

a

: 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

2 of 2

verb

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)

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The chaos persists as yet another family member steps into string that activates a nail gun that shoots several into his face, before Kevin’s sister (Sarah Sherman) slips on marbles that sent her down a laundry chute and into a blazing fire. —Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 21 Dec. 2025

Besides overflowing trash chutes, tenants also complain about an unsecured exterior door and ignored maintenance requests. —Suzanne Le Mignot, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025

Verb

From the old mail chute in the lobby to the original grand marble portrait reliefs on the ornate curving staircase, attention to historical preservation adds charm in all the public—and even not-so-public—spaces, like the basement bank safe where the original Coca-Cola recipe once resided. —Su-Jit Lin, Southern Living, 27 Dec. 2025

Now comes this even more tongue-in-cheek reboot that succeeds in some moments but falls down the chimney chute in others. —Randy Myers, Mercury News, 12 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

1805, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1884, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing chute

• out of the chute

Rhymes for chute

• beaut
• boot
• bruit
• brut
• brute
• coot
• cute
• flute
• fruit
• hoot
• jute
• loot

Kids Definition

chute

noun

variants also shute

ˈshüt

1

: an inclined plane, sloping channel, or passage down or through which things may pass

a coal chute

a mail chute

2

: parachute entry 1 sense 1