siphon
UK[ˈsaɪfən]US[ˈsaɪfən]
n
A tube used to convey a liquid from a higher container to a lower one by atmospheric pressure forcing it up the shorter arm of the tube while the liquid flows down the longer arm.
v
To draw off or convey (a liquid) by means of a siphon.
Etymology
The word 'siphon' entered English in the late 15th century from the French 'siphon', which itself derived from the Latin 'sipho' (genitive 'siphonis'), meaning 'pipe, tube'. The Latin term was a borrowing from the Greek 'siphōn', which also meant 'pipe, tube' or specifically a device for drawing wine from a cask. The Greek word's ultimate origin is uncertain, but it may be related to a lost pre-Greek substrate language. The core concept of a tube for transferring liquid has remained remarkably consistent from its ancient Greek origins to its modern scientific and general usage, illustrating a direct transmission of both form and function.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword from Greek via Latin and French. Its spelling and form are not productively composed of separable English morphemes.
Examples
He used a siphon to transfer gasoline from the drum into the can.
The city attempted to siphon funds from the education budget to pay for the new road.
A simple siphon can empty an aquarium quickly.