chute

1 of 2

noun

ˈshüt 

variants or less commonly shute

1

a

: fall sense 6b

b

: a quick descent (as in a river) : rapid

2

: an inclined plane, sloping channel, or passage down or through which things may pass : slide

3

: parachute

4

: spinnaker

chute

2 of 2

verb

chuted; chuting

transitive verb

: to convey by a chute

intransitive verb

1

: to go in or as if in a chute

2

: to utilize a chute (as by passing ore down it)

Examples of chute in a Sentence

Noun

She dropped the towels into the laundry chute.

children sliding down a water chute

The skiers came racing down the chute.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The former Middleborough High standout allowed RBI singles to Tyler O’Neill and Ryan Mountcastle, and later also a two-run double by Cedric Mullins that put the Red Sox in a 4-0 hole right out of the chute. —Mac Cerullo, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2025

While most dams rely on spillways shaped like chutes or shafts to drain the overage, the dam at Lake Berryessa uses a funnel-like spillway due to lack of space, per local news outlet The Press Democrat. —Toria Sheffield, People.com, 29 Mar. 2025

Verb

An ice maker had black mold-like growth in its wall and chute. —Camila Pedrosa, Sacramento Bee, 28 Feb. 2025

Mickeys being dragged to the incinerator chute and melted down for regeneration. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 15 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, from Old French, from cheoir to fall, from Latin cadere — more at chance

First Known Use

Noun

1805, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1884, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing chute

• out of the chute

Rhymes for chute

• beaut
• boot
• bruit
• brut
• brute
• coot
• cute
• flute
• fruit
• hoot
• jute
• loot

Kids Definition

chute

noun

variants also shute

ˈshüt

1

: an inclined plane, sloping channel, or passage down or through which things may pass

a coal chute

a mail chute

2

: parachute entry 1 sense 1