chimney

noun

chim·​ney ˈchim-nē 

plural chimneys

1

dialect : fireplace, hearth

2

: a vertical structure incorporated into a building and enclosing a flue or flues that carry off smoke

especially : the part of such a structure extending above a roof

3

: smokestack

4

: a tube usually of glass placed around a flame (as of a lamp)

5

: something resembling a chimney: such as

a

: a narrow cleft or passage in rock

b

: a tall column of rock on the ocean floor that is formed by the precipitation of minerals from superheated water issuing from a hydrothermal vent and rising through the column of rock

chimneylike

ˈchim-nē-ˌlīk 

adjective

Examples of chimney in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Remove any limbs which overhang the roof or chimney. —Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 14 Mar. 2025

Rubble and lonely chimneys littered the shore where beachfront homes once stood. —Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2025

The cause is not known but is believed to be a poor chimney as the fire caught soon after a fire was started in the store by Tom Flynn as Pat was in Litchfield at the time. —Contributed Content, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025

To the west, smoke billows from the chimney of an army-run distillery. —By Charlie Campbell/gelephu, Bhutan, TIME, 16 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French chiminee, from Late Latin caminata, from Latin caminus furnace, fireplace, from Greek kaminos; perhaps akin to Greek kamara vault

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing chimney

• chimney breast
• chimney pot
• chimney stack
• chimney sweep
• chimney swift
• smoke like a chimney

Kids Definition

chimney

noun

chim·​ney ˈchim-nē 

plural chimneys

1

: a vertical structure extending above the roof of a building for carrying off smoke

2

: a tube usually of glass around a flame (as of a lamp)

3

: something resembling a chimney