English vocabulary · C1
Funnel
/ˈfʌnəl/ · n./v.
A funnel is a tool that guides liquid into a small hole. It helps keep the liquid in one place.
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Example sentences
- Use a funnel to fill the bottle.
- Cars funneled into one small lane.
Word origin and roots
from Latin
- infundibulum — pour in (from Latin)
Synonyms and nuances
- GUIDE — lead to a place (Show The Way)
- CHANNEL — send through one path (Move In One Path)
- DIRECT — send to one place (Point The Way)
Similar words
- guide
- channel
- direct
Lesson notes
A funnel is a tool that guides liquid into a small hole. It helps keep the liquid in one place.
Related: guide, channel, direct. Use funnel when something moves from a wide space into one narrow place.
Use a funnel to fill the bottle. Cars funneled into one small lane.
From Latin. Infundibulum means pour in. Old French fonil became English funnel. Pour in through one small space: that is a funnel.