chimney
UK[ˈtʃɪmni]US[ˈtʃɪmni]
n
A vertical pipe or structure that allows smoke and gases to escape from a fireplace, furnace, or boiler.
n
A glass tube that surrounds the flame of an oil lamp or candle.
Etymology
The word 'chimney' entered English in the 14th century from the Old French 'cheminee', which meant 'fireplace' or 'chimney'. This Old French term derived from the Late Latin 'camīnāta', a noun meaning 'fireplace', which itself came from the Latin 'camīnus', borrowed from the Greek 'kaminos', signifying 'oven' or 'furnace'. The Greek term is thought to have a pre-Greek, possibly Anatolian, origin. The core concept has remained remarkably consistent from its ancient roots, evolving from a general term for a heating structure to specifically denote the flue or passage for smoke in the modern era.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword from French. Its spelling and form are not productively divisible into meaningful substrings in modern English.
Examples
A column of black smoke poured from the factory chimney.
We need to have the chimney swept before we can light a fire.
The old lamp had a beautifully etched glass chimney.