flue

Meaning

1. A pipe or duct that carries gaseous combustion products away from the point of combustion (such as a furnace).
2. An enclosed passageway in which to direct a current of air or other gases along.
3. (obsolete) A woolly or downy substance; down, nap; a piece of this.
4. In an organ flue pipe, the opening between the lower lip and the languet.

chimney

funnel

smoke flue

air flue

chimney flue

chimney neck

flame tube

flue-pipe

gas duct

flue-net

gas flue

heating duct

internal furnace

smoke channel

waste heat flue

smoke canal

funnel flue

stack flue

flame exhaust

flame trench

Frequency

Pronounced as (IPA)

/fluː/

From Middle English flue, flewe (“mouthpiece of a hunting horn”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps a back-formation from Middle English *flews (mistaken as a plural), from Old English flēwsa (“a flow, flowing, flux”). Alternatively, perhaps an alteration of Middle English floute, fleute, flote (“a pipe”), see English flute. Compare also Middle Dutch vloegh (“groove, channel, flute of a fluted column”).