flue

noun

: an enclosed passageway for directing a current: such as
a
: a channel in a chimney for conveying flame and smoke to the outer air
b
: a pipe for conveying flame and hot gases around or through water in a steam boiler
c
: an air channel leading to the lip of a wind instrument
d

Examples of flue in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Gases from the gasifier react with steam to produce hydrogen to fire the plant’s turbines and a pure stream of carbon dioxide that is far easier to capture than the diffuse CO2 in a conventional power plant’s flue gases. Peter Fairley, IEEE Spectrum, 25 May 2012 Ensure the fireplace flue is open before lighting it. Nicole Villalpando, Austin American-Statesman, 12 Jan. 2024 Peoples Gas has been onsite multiple times over the winter and identified the boiler exhaust flue as a potential source of the sporadic smell, district officials said. Nell Salzman, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2025 But Chaplin lets in enough fresh air to make the reader care about things like flue innovations and the proliferation of affordable thermometers. Dan Piepenbring, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for flue

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of flue was in 1582

Cite this Entry

“Flue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flue. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

flue

noun
: an enclosed passageway for directing a current
especially : a channel in a chimney for carrying flame and smoke to the outer air

More from Merriam-Webster on flue

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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