funnel

CEFRB2

/ˈfʌnəl/

noun · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A tool with a wide top and narrow tube for pouring.

  2. 02

    verb

    To direct something through a narrow opening or route.

Examples

  • I find funnel cake a bit too sweet.

  • You can pour the liquid by using a funnel.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A passage or avenue for a fluid or flowing substance; specifically, a smoke flue or pipe; the chimney of a steamship or the like.

  2. Ellipsis of purchase funnel (“the process of customer acquisition conceptualized as a series of stages, from initial awareness (top) to sale or conversion (bottom)”).

  3. A utensil in the shape of an inverted hollow cone terminating in a narrow pipe, for channeling liquids or granular material; typically used when transferring said substances from any container into ones with a significantly smaller opening.

More examples

In context

  • Expect delays where the traffic funnels down to one lane.

  • top of (the) funnel marketing

  • Our taxes are being funnelled into pointless government initiatives.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

She used a blank to pour the oil into the bottle.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English funell, fonel, probably through Old French *founel (compare Middle French fonel, Old Occitan fonilh, enfounilh), from Latin fundibulum, infundibulum (“funnel”), from infundere (“to pour in”); in (“in”) + fundere (“to pour”); compare Breton founilh (“funnel”), Welsh ffynel (“air hole, chimney”). See fuse.