chute

1 of 3

noun (1)

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 3

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)

shute

3 of 3

noun (2)

less common spelling of chute

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

Examples of chute in a Sentence

Noun (1)

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

To create a chic date night look or an evening event outfit, look for a pair of 'chutes in khaki, a color known for its big business energy. —Jennifer Hussein, InStyle, 20 June 2026

The air can be so quiet in the Bates County town of Butler, a rural community of 4,400 one hour south of Kansas City, that when the skydivers, often strapped in tandem, pop their chutes, neighbors Daniel and Kendra Stewart can hear the wafting sound of them filling with air. —Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 15 June 2026

Verb

French novelist Aude Walker wrote a piece of fiction from a single prompt, the word chute, meaning fall, ending, punchline, or offcut, transforming it into a meditation on renewal that mirrors Polène's own Plèi collection, which reimagines leather scraps into new creations. —Pooja Mistry, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2026

The other standout feature is its grind retention, which refers to how much coffee gets caught in the burrs or chute and left behind. —Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Jan. 2026

Noun

Then, Kevin’s sister slips on marbles into a laundry shute. —William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 21 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

First Known Use

Noun (1)

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

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

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

Biographical Definition

Shute

biographical name

ˈshüt 

Nev*il ˈne-vəl  1899–1960 pseudonym of Nevil Shute Norway English aeronautical engineer and writer in Australia