chimney
UK: ˈtʃɪmni | US: ˈtʃɪmni
n. a vertical structure or pipe that allows smoke or gases to escape from a building (typically from a fireplace or furnace).
n. a glass tube protecting the flame of a lamp.
chimney = chim<fireplace> + ney<noun suffix>
- chim (from Old French cheminee, derived from Late Latin caminata, meaning "fireplace" or "hearth," ultimately from Latin caminus <furnace/forge>).
- ney (a nominal suffix in Old French, often used to form nouns related to structures or places).
Etymology Origin:
The word "chimney" traces back to the Latin caminus (furnace), which entered Old French as cheminee, referring to a fireplace or hearth. Over time, the meaning shifted to focus on the smoke-vent structure above the fireplace. The spelling evolved to "chimney" in Middle English, retaining the core idea of a passage for smoke. The morpheme chim preserves the original concept of fire, while ney acts as a structural suffix.
Smoke curled from the brick chimney atop the cottage.
The old factory’s chimneys were demolished for safety reasons.
She leaned against the chimney to warm her hands.
A bird nested in the chimney, blocking the airflow.
The glass chimney of the oil lamp cracked from the heat.