funnel
/ˈfʌnl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfʌnl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfə-nᵊl/ (ame, mw) · /ˈfʌn.əl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfʌn.əl/ (ame, ipa)
funnel — noun
- funnelsingular
- funnelsplural
1. a tool with a broad top that narrows to a slender pipe, used for guiding substan
a tool with a broad top that narrows to a slender pipe, used for guiding substances such as water, oil, or flour into jars and bottles with small mouths
Constanza used a funnel to pour the cooking oil into the small bottle without spilling any.
used a funnel to pour [liquid] into [container]
The science kit came with a small plastic funnel for filling the beakers with water.
funnel for filling [container]
Ari poured the flour carefully through a metal funnel into the storage jar.
Tariro used a funnel to transfer the homemade lemonade into glass bottles.
- pourer
less common; sometimes used for kitchen gadgets but not standard
用法筆記
Countable; often described by material (metal, plastic, glass) or context (kitchen, lab, automotive).
常見錯誤
2. a tall metal pipe on a ship, steam train, or factory through which smoke and gas
a tall metal pipe on a ship, steam train, or factory through which smoke and gases are released into the air
The old steamship had two black funnels releasing thick smoke into the grey sky.
Andrés climbed a hill to watch the steam train pass, its funnel puffing white clouds.
funnel puffing [smoke/steam]
The factory's brick funnel towered above the surrounding houses in that district.
The cruise ship had a blue funnel with a white star near the top.
- smokestack
more common for factories and power plants; 'funnel' is preferred for ships
- chimney
used for buildings; less common for ships and trains
用法筆記
On ships, funnels (also called smokestacks) often carry the company colours or logo. On steam trains, the funnel releases steam as well as smoke.
3. the series of stages a potential customer passes through, from first learning ab
the series of stages a potential customer passes through, from first learning about a product to finally deciding to buy it, where fewer people remain at each stage
Meera drew the sales funnel on the whiteboard to show how most visitors browse but few actually buy.
sales funnel: marketing stages from awareness to purchase
At the top of the marketing funnel, thousands of people see the advertisement each day.
Sahil redesigned the checkout process to keep more customers from falling out of the funnel.
Darius studied the funnel reports to understand why shoppers stopped buying.
- pipeline
broader term used in sales for all potential deals at different stages
用法筆記
Almost always used in marketing and business. Common modifiers: 'sales funnel', 'marketing funnel', 'conversion funnel'. The 'top of the funnel' is the awareness stage; the 'bottom of the funnel' is the purchase decision.
常見錯誤
4. any object or formation that is wider at one end and narrower at the other, rese
any object or formation that is wider at one end and narrower at the other, resembling the shape of a kitchen funnel
A dark funnel cloud dropped from the thundercloud and touched the ground near the farm.
funnel cloud: a tornado-shaped cloud formation
Sumin showed the class how to roll paper into a funnel shape for the water experiment.
funnel shape: rolled paper forming a cone
The garden had a funnel-shaped flower that collected rainwater at its centre each morning.
Kian shone a flashlight into the cave, making a narrow funnel of light on the wall.
- cone
broader and more common; 'funnel' specifically implies a hollow passage through the narrow end
用法筆記
Often used in compound forms: 'funnel-shaped', 'funnel cloud' (meteorology). Describes any cone-like form that narrows to an opening.
funnel — verb
- funnelpresent simple I / you / we / they
- funnels3rd person singular
- funneling-ing form
- funneledpast simple
1. to make something move through a narrow opening or passage that directs its flow
to make something move through a narrow opening or passage that directs its flow, or to move in this way yourself
Mauricio carefully funneled the gasoline from the red container into the lawnmower's tank.
funnel [liquid] from [container] into [tank]
The narrow hallway funneled all the wedding guests toward the main reception room.
Thousands of fans funneled through the single gate into the stadium before kickoff.
Alessia funneled the rainwater from the roof into a large storage barrel.
文法句型
funnel + object + through/into + container/channel
funnel + through/into + place
用法筆記
Common with 'through', 'into', and 'toward' to indicate the path. Can be used for liquids, powders, people, or vehicles. The intransitive use describes the movement itself rather than the action of guiding.
常見錯誤
❌ 'The crowd poured through the gate.' is fine but 'The crowd funneled through the gate.' is more precise when space is tight — funnel implies a restriction that forces a narrower flow.
2. to send money, resources, or information directly and deliberately to a particul
to send money, resources, or information directly and deliberately to a particular person, group, or project, often in a controlled way
The government funneled emergency funds to the towns that were destroyed by the earthquake.
funnel [funds/resources] to [recipient]
Amani funneled all her savings into starting a small bakery in the neighbourhood.
Most of the charity's donations are funneled directly to partner schools in rural areas.
The foundation funneled grant money to community arts programs across the region.
- scatter
to spread resources widely rather than concentrate them
文法句型
funnel + money/funds/resources + to/into + target
funnel + information + to + recipient
用法筆記
Strongly associated with money, funding, and aid. Frequently appears in news reporting about government spending, corruption ('funnel money secretly'), or charitable work. The passive form ('funds were funneled to…') is very common.