tunnel

1 of 2

noun

tun·​nel ˈtə-nᵊl 

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

ˈtə-nᵊl-ˌ(l)īk 

adjective

tunnel

2 of 2

verb

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

tunneler

ˈtən-lər, 

ˈtə-nᵊl-ər 

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

Noun

Degrading Iran’s war machine The larger munitions would have likely been used to penetrate underground facilities, destroy missile launch bunkers, and collapse tunnels or storage depots. —Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 8 Mar. 2026

Passengers waiting for flights at Dubai International Airport were ushered into train tunnels. —Arkansas Online, 8 Mar. 2026

Verb

Elevate Insulation Don’t allow foam board insulation to contact the ground because termites can tunnel through it into a structure. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2026

This material can be buried under new lawn or sod installations to keep gophers from tunneling into grass lawns. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 2026

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

Phrases Containing tunnel

• a light at the end of the tunnel
• carpal tunnel syndrome
• high tunnel
• tunnel vision
• wind tunnel

Rhymes for tunnel

• bunnell
• funnel
• multifunctional

Kids Definition

tunnel

1 of 2 noun

tun·​nel ˈtən-ᵊl 

: a passage under the ground

tunnellike

-ᵊl-ˌ(l)īk 

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 

: a bodily channel see carpal tunnel