stovepipe

1 of 2

noun

stove·​pipe ˈstōv-ˌpīp 

1

: pipe of large diameter usually of sheet steel used as a stove chimney or to connect a stove with a flue

2

: silk hat

3

: an isolated and narrow channel of communication

Instead of streamlining Washington's ability to perform, the department clogged it up with new layers of bureaucracy and stovepipes of information.

—Christopher Cooper and Robert Block

We had 18 intelligence agencies, and they had what was called the famous stovepipes. They wouldn't share with each other, wouldn't talk to each other.

—Jay Rockefeller

stovepipe

2 of 2

verb

stovepiped; stovepiping; stovepipes

transitive verb

: to transmit (information) to a higher level in an organization through an isolated and narrow channel of communication

This [Pentagon policy] office, which circumvented the usual procedures of vetting and transparency, stovepiped many of its findings to the highest-ranking officials.

—Seymour M. Hersh

Examples of stovepipe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But these national stovepipes are a peacetime luxury. —Philip Zelikow, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023

On the way, one of them, a young soldier called Kyivstar—the name of Ukraine’s main telecommunications network—dropped a grenade down the stovepipe. —Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024

One of the most notable pieces on display in the 1905 Georgian Revival mansion is President Lincoln’s stovepipe hat. —Kira Turnbull, Travel + Leisure, 2 Apr. 2024

Kids can play with White House building blocks or create a Lincoln-esque stovepipe hat, and visitors of all ages can enjoy a performance by the Linton Hall School Fife and Drum Corps or dance to music from DJ Farrah Flosscett. —Chris Kelly, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1784, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1988, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

stovepipe

noun

stove·​pipe ˈstōv-ˌpīp 

1

: a metal pipe for carrying off smoke from a stove

2

: a tall silk hat