funnel

/ˈfʌnl/

/ˈfʌnəl/

Other forms: funnels; funneled; funneling; funnelled; funnelling

The cone-shaped tool you use to pour liquid into a small hole is a funnel. The swirling winds of a tornado make the shape of a funnel. This is why they are called funnel clouds.

You can also use the word metaphorically to describe something that goes from wide to narrow while moving. If six lanes of traffic must funnel through a tunnel, you'll probably see a traffic jam. And if you photographed the scene from above, the cars would make a triangular shape, as if they formed a flat funnel. If a company is funneling money into research and development, it is spending lots of money in that department. Funnel cake is made by pouring batter through a funnel in to hot oil. Yum!

Definitions of funnel

1. noun

   a conically shaped utensil having a narrow tube at the small end; used to channel the flow of substances into a container with a small mouth
   type of:

   utensil

   an implement for practical use (especially in a household)
2. noun

   a conical shape with a wider and a narrower opening at the two ends
   synonyms: funnel shape

   type of:

   cone, cone shape, conoid

   a shape whose base is a circle and whose sides taper up to a point
3. noun

   (nautical) smokestack consisting of a shaft for ventilation or the passage of smoke (especially the smokestack of a ship)
   type of:

   smokestack, stack

   a large tall chimney through which combustion gases and smoke can be evacuated
4. verb

   move or pour through a funnel
   “funnel the liquid into the small bottle”

   type of:

   displace, move

   cause to move or shift into a new position or place, both in a concrete and in an abstract sense