Smokestack

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈsmoʊkˌstæk/

Definitions

1. A tall, vertical structure serves the purpose of directing smoke and gases produced during industrial activities into the atmosphere
2. This term denotes a chimney-like system that facilitates the expulsion of exhaust emissions from factories and power stations
3. A vertical pipe or tower is designed to vent smoke and gases generated from industrial processes into the air

Etymology: Smokestack is a plain compound: smoke plus stack, two English words that were already in use separately long before they were joined. The older parts are the more interesting pieces. "Smoke" descends from Old English "smoca," which traces back to a shared Germanic root, so the idea of a visible, drifting plume has been attached to this word for well over a thousand years. "Stack" came into English as a word for a pile or cluster, such as a stack of hay or a stack of firewood, and only later came to describe a tall vertical structure. The two words met in the sense of a tall column built to carry smoke away from a fire or furnace. Factory and power-station chimneys are the most prominent modern examples, which is why the compound is so closely tied to industrial landscapes. The word's meaning has stayed close to its literal parts: a stack that carries smoke.

Synonyms: chimney, flue, stacks