tunnel

play

noun tun·nel \ ˈtə-nᵊl \

Definition of tunnel

1 a :a covered passageway; specifically :a horizontal passageway through or under an obstruction

b :a subterranean gallery (as in a mine)

c :burrow

2 :a hollow conduit or recess :tube, well

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tunnellike

play \-nᵊl-ˌ(l)īk\ adjective

See tunnel defined for English-language learners

See tunnel defined for kids

Examples of tunnel in a Sentence

The train goes through a tunnel in the mountain.
The moles dug tunnels in the yard.

Recent Examples of tunnel from the Web

Gen. Anwar Hama, of the Iraqi air force, told The Associated Press that airstrikes this week have targeted IS headquarters, tunnels and weapons’ stores.

— Washington Post, "Thousands flee as Iraq steps up airstrikes on IS-held town," 15 Aug. 2017
Cody Russell, who recently set up his Tunnel Vision company at the Evo Nexus accelerator startup, sells virtual reality videos to wind tunnel skydiving attractions.

— roger showley, sandiegouniontribune.com, "15 companies picked for foreign trade expansion aid," 1 Aug. 2017
UAB will start practice Monday with nearly the full allotment of 85 scholarship players, a brand new football facility and a light at the end of the tunnel.

— drew champlin, AL.com, "What to watch for as UAB football opens fall camp," 29 July 2017
From either the Deira or the Bur Dubai side of Dubai Creek, forgo the modern bridges or tunnels and make the crossing on an abra.

— jenny b. davis, star-telegram, "From shimmering sand dunes to glimmering skyscrapers, everything blings in Dubai," 17 July 2017
Just seeing him run out of that tunnel in that uniform, seeing him warm up, basketball in his hands.

— mike jensen, Philly.com, "Allen Iverson at Wells Fargo to give 'that flashback'," 15 July 2017
First, because of the inherent strength of arches, the cylindrical tunnels contract slightly more slowly than the rectangularly shored ceilings.

— eli kintisch, Science | AAAS, "Massive balloons help polar scientists build underground tunnels," 13 July 2017
The result is LightRails, a collection of multicolored LED lights that flash in various patterns throughout the tunnel.

— brennan long, Southern Living, "Southern Street Art You Don’t Want To Miss," 11 July 2017
Among its goals, the ambitious Metro-Miami Marketplace Destination: 2001 program called for a tunnel underneath Government Cut, running in and out of the port, to keep cargo trucks off downtown streets.

— howard cohen, miamiherald, "Adm. Diego Hernandez, a Vietnam hero tapped by the president for his expertise, dies at 83," 8 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tunnel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of tunnel

Middle English tonel cask, tun, from Anglo-French, from tone tun

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1508

See Words from the same year

tunnel

verb

Definition of tunnel

tunneled or tunnelled; tunneling or tunnelling \ˈtən-liŋ, ˈtə-nᵊl-iŋ\

intransitive verb

1 :to make or use a tunnel

2 physics :to pass through a potential barrier

electrons tunneling through an insulator between semiconductors

transitive verb

:to make a tunnel or similar opening through or under; also :to make (one's way) by or as if by making a tunnel

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tunneler

play \ˈtən-lər, ˈtə-nᵊl-ər\ noun

See tunnel defined for English-language learners

Examples of tunnel in a Sentence

Workers are tunneling through the hill.
Insects had tunneled into the tree.

Recent Examples of tunnel from the Web

Meanwhile, a slightly wider drill by rival Herrenknecht tunneled the short entrance for a highway to Hong Kong’s airport in 2015.

— mike lindblom, The Seattle Times, "MOHAI takes Bertha’s control-room consoles for a future display," 4 Aug. 2017
Jared Kushner's grandmother, Rae had escaped prosecution in what is now Belarus by tunneling out to the woods, where a community of Jews had armed themselves.

— caroline hallemann, Town & Country, "9 Things You Should Know About the Kushner Family," 21 July 2017
But a few issues have kept tunneling floating around in the background.

— chris lee, Ars Technica, "Quantum mechanics can’t smell my unwashed armpits… probably," 5 July 2017
Everything around me began to move in slow motion, and the once too-sensitive hearing became dense and tunneled; the rush of blood in my body crescendoed into a roar.

— bassey ikpi, The Root, "Anxiety Is All in Your Head," 4 July 2017
Take Juan Fleitas, one of six killers who tunneled out of Glades Correctional Institution in January 1995.

— by curtis morgan, miamiherald, "Versace’s killer vanished. And the manhunt was on," 2 July 2017
As IPv6 deployment increases, the tipping point is approaching at which IPv4 traffic is tunneled over IPv6 rather than the other way around.

— peter sayer, PCWorld, "Don't be left behind by IPv6 deployment, ISOC warns enterprises," 6 June 2017
Whether to use landscape fabric or metal mesh on the bottom to prevent critters from tunneling under is personal preference.

— betty cahill, The Denver Post, "Punch List: Fourth week in May is a good time to pay attention to your raised beds," 19 May 2017
Down the street, workers are removing the mound of debris that marks the site of the once-luxurious Carlton Hotel, blown up by rebels who tunneled beneath the structure in May 2014 and set off a huge bomb.

— patrick j. mcdonnell, latimes.com, "'There are no words that can describe my sadness.' Syrians return to Aleppo to find their beloved mosque destroyed," 15 May 2017

First Known Use of tunnel

1795

TUNNEL Defined for English Language Learners

tunnel

play

noun

Definition of tunnel for English Language Learners

: a passage that goes under the ground, through a hill, etc.

tunnel

verb

Definition of tunnel for English Language Learners

: to make a tunnel

TUNNEL Defined for Kids

tunnel

play

noun tun·nel \ ˈtə-nᵊl \

Definition of tunnel for Students

:a passage under the ground

tunnel

verb

Definition of tunnel for Students

tunneled or tunnelled; tunneling or tunnelling

:to make a passage under the ground

Medical Dictionary

tunnel

play

noun tun·nel \ ˈtən-ᵊl \

medical Definition of tunnel

:a bodily channel — see carpal tunnel

Learn More about tunnel

See words that rhyme with tunnel Spanish Central: Translation of tunnel Nglish: Translation of tunnel for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of tunnel for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tunnel

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tunnel

Definition of tunnel

tunnellike

From the M-W Editors

Examples of tunnel in a Sentence

Recent Examples of tunnel from the Web

Origin and Etymology of tunnel

tunnel

Definition of tunnel

tunneler

Examples of tunnel in a Sentence

Recent Examples of tunnel from the Web

First Known Use of tunnel

Phrases Related to TUNNEL

Related Phrases

TUNNEL Defined for English Language Learners

tunnel

Definition of tunnel for English Language Learners

tunnel

Definition of tunnel for English Language Learners

TUNNEL Defined for Kids

tunnel

Definition of tunnel for Students

tunnel

Definition of tunnel for Students

Medical Dictionary

tunnel

medical Definition of tunnel

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