tunnel

1 of 2

noun

tun·​nel ˈtə-nᵊl How to pronounce tunnel (audio)
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
tunnellike adjective

tunnel

2 of 2

verb

tunneled or tunnelled; tunneling or tunnelling
ˈtən-liŋ,
ˈtə-nᵊl-iŋ How to pronounce tunnel (audio)

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
tunneler
ˈtən-lər
ˈtə-nᵊl-ər How to pronounce tunnel (audio)
noun

Examples of tunnel in a Sentence

Noun The train goes through a tunnel in the mountain. The moles dug tunnels in the yard. Verb Workers are tunneling through the hill. Insects had tunneled into the tree.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Past Incidents in the last 12 hours: West 13th Street: tunnel closed between West Truman Road and I-670 East A tunnel is closed on West 13th Street in Kansas City from West Truman Road to I-670 East. Kansas City Star Bot updated July 12, Kansas City Star, 12 July 2025 Suddenly, the walls of the tunnel gave way, trapping the teen beneath the sand, the outlet reported. Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 12 July 2025
Verb
In late summer, the larva tunnels outward through the sapwood and stops near the bark. Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2025 One of the cost saving proposals currently on the table is to tunnel concurrently from both the east and the west. Grace Hase, Mercury News, 27 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for tunnel

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

1508, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1795, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tunnel was in 1508

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Cite this Entry

“Tunnel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tunnel. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

tunnel

1 of 2 noun
tun·​nel ˈtən-ᵊl How to pronounce tunnel (audio)
: a passage under the ground
tunnellike adjective

tunnel

2 of 2 verb
tunneled or tunnelled; tunneling or tunnelling
ˈtən-liŋ,
-ᵊl-iŋ
: to make a tunnel

Medical Definition

tunnel

noun
tun·​nel ˈtən-ᵊl How to pronounce tunnel (audio)
: a bodily channel see carpal tunnel

More from Merriam-Webster on tunnel

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