Chimney: The Shaft That Takes Smoke Away
A chimney is a vertical structure carrying smoke out of a building. Climbers use the word for a narrow vertical crack, and the same shape explains both.
A chimney carries smoke and hot gases from a fire out above the roof. It works on a simple principle: hot air is lighter than cold, so it rises and pulls fresh air in behind it. That pull is called the draw, and a chimney that does not draw fills the room with smoke.
- A shaft carrying smoke away. *Smoke rose from the chimney.*
- The stack of a factory or ship. *A brick chimney above the mill.*
- A narrow vertical crack (climbing). *He climbed the chimney by bracing.*
- A heavy smoker (informal). *She smokes like a chimney.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | chimney | A stone chimney. |
| Plural | chimneys | Rows of chimneys. |
| Compound | chimney sweep | A chimney sweep with brushes. |
| Compound | chimney stack | The chimney stack needs repointing. |
| Related | flue | A blocked flue. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Have the chimney swept before winter.Soot build-up is the main cause of chimney fires.
- The flue was blocked by a jackdaw's nest.Flue is the passage inside; chimney is the whole structure.
- He smokes like a chimney.Constantly and heavily.
Chimney parts, from bottom to top
- Hearth — the floor of the fireplace
- Throat — the narrowing above the fire that speeds the draw
- Flue — the passage carrying the gases
- Stack — the part standing above the roof
- Pot and cowl — fittings at the top that improve draw and keep rain out
From Old French *cheminee*, from Late Latin *caminata*, a room with a fireplace, from *caminus*, a furnace. Domestic chimneys spread across Europe from the twelfth century onward, replacing the central hearth and the hole in the roof.
Chimney or flue?
The chimney is the structure. The flue is the passage inside it. One chimney stack may contain several flues.
Why do chimneys need sweeping?
Soot and creosote build up on the flue walls and can ignite. Sweeping also keeps the draw strong.