What does tunnel mean?
A tunnel is an enclosed passage made through the ground or through a physical obstruction such as a mountain, hill, riverbed, or building. It may carry road or rail traffic, pedestrians, cables, water, or other services. In everyday use, the word most often refers to a passage dug underground for transportation, but it can also describe a covered route through another structure. The verb tunnel means to excavate such a passage or to travel through one. Tunnel commonly evokes engineering, transport infrastructure, confinement, and the contrast between underground darkness and an open landscape. Figurative expressions such as tunnel vision use the image of a restricted field of view to describe limited or overly narrow attention. The word is used similarly in British and American English, although spelling varies in forms such as tunnelled and tunnelling.
An enclosed passageway, usually underground or through a mountain, hill, building, or other obstruction, that people, vehicles, or animals can pass through.
"The road passes through a tunnel beneath the river."
The word is countable and is also used figuratively for a narrow or restricted field of vision, as in tunnel vision.
To excavate or create a tunnel, or to pass or travel through one.
"The crew spent several months tunneling through the granite."
This use is especially associated with construction, engineering, and mining, though pass through a tunnel is also ordinary usage.
The regular plural is tunnels; use the singular tunnel for one passage or passageway.
"Several tunnels connect the different parts of the city."
The word tunnel originally referred to a vaulted passage, so even the modern underground railway tunnel carries a faint architectural memory of the vault.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tunnel come from?
The English word comes from Middle English forms of the word, borrowed from Old French tonnele or tonnelle, meaning a vault or underground passage. Old French in turn drew on Late Latin tonella, a diminutive related to Latin tona, although the ultimate origin of that Latin word is uncertain. The modern English sense developed from the older architectural meaning of a vaulted passage to its familiar use for an excavated route through the ground.
Related word forms
How tunnel is actually used
As a noun, tunnel is countable and can refer to a single passage or to a system of passages. As a verb, it is especially common in technical, engineering, and transport contexts. The expression tunnel vision is figurative and refers to a narrow or restricted way of thinking.
Easily confused with tunnel
A funnel is usually an open-topped or wide-mouthed container or conduit, whereas a tunnel is an enclosed passageway for travel.