flue

1
[ floo ]
See synonyms for flue on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a passage or duct for smoke in a chimney.

  2. any duct or passage for air, gas, or the like.

  1. a tube, especially a large one, in a fire-tube boiler.

  2. Music.

    • Also called windway . a narrow slit in the upper end of an organ pipe through which the air current is directed.

Origin of flue

1
First recorded in 1555–65; earlier flew; of uncertain origin; perhaps from Old English flēwsa “a flowing, flux,” the form flews being taken as plural

Words that may be confused with flue

Other definitions for flue (2 of 3)

flue2
[ floo ]

noun
  1. downy matter; fluff.

Origin of flue

2
First recorded in 1580–90; of uncertain origin; perhaps from Old English flug- (in flugol “swift, fleeting”); perhaps from Flemish Dutch vluwe, from French velu “hairy, downy”; see also velvet

Other definitions for flue (3 of 3)

flue3

or flew

[ floo ]

noun
  1. a fishing net.

Origin of flue

3
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English flue, flowe, flew, from Middle Dutch vl(o)uwe “fishing net”; akin to Old English flōwan flow

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use flue in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for flue (1 of 4)

flue1

/ (fluː) /


noun
  1. a shaft, tube, or pipe, esp as used in a chimney, to carry off smoke, gas, etc

  2. music the passage in an organ pipe or flute within which a vibrating air column is set up: See also flue pipe

Origin of flue

1
C16: of unknown origin

British Dictionary definitions for flue (2 of 4)

flue2

/ (fluː) /


noun
  1. loose fluffy matter; down

Origin of flue

2
C16: from Flemish vluwe, from Old French velu shaggy

British Dictionary definitions for flue (3 of 4)

flue3

flew

/ (fluː) /


noun
  1. a type of fishing net

Origin of flue

3
Middle English, from Middle Dutch vlūwe

British Dictionary definitions for flue (4 of 4)

flue4

/ (fluː) /


noun
  1. another word for fluke 1 (def. 1), fluke 1

Derived forms of flue

  • flued, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012