stovepipe

1 of 2

noun

stove·​pipe ˈstōv-ˌpīp How to pronounce stovepipe (audio)
1
: pipe of large diameter usually of sheet steel used as a stove chimney or to connect a stove with a flue
2
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
And, just as with the first twister, a small nub started dropping and circulating from the wall cloud, but was shaped more like a stout stovepipe. Jim Clash, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025 The smoke that wafts from the chimney is created using chemical pellets that are burned in another stove that's connected to the stovepipe chimney, which is temporarily erected atop the Sistine Chapel just for that purpose. Christopher Watson, ABC News, 25 Apr. 2025 And more often than not, there was Abraham Lincoln, singing along in a black suit and a stovepipe hat. James Barron, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025 And more often than not, there was Abraham Lincoln, singing along in black suit and stovepipe hat. New York Times, 23 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stovepipe

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1784, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1988, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stovepipe was in 1784

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Cite this Entry

“Stovepipe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stovepipe. Accessed 6 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

stovepipe

noun
stove·​pipe ˈstōv-ˌpīp How to pronounce stovepipe (audio)
1
: a metal pipe for carrying off smoke from a stove
2
: a tall silk hat

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