tunnelnoun [ C ]
uk/ˈtʌn.əl/us/ˈtʌn.əl/B1 a long passage under or through the ground, especially one made by people:
The train went into the tunnel.
the tunnel
the long passage through which football, rugby etc. players walk to get to the pitch
More examples
- The tunnel was dug with the aid of heavy machinery.
- Ten miners were trapped underground when the roof of the tunnel fell in.
- The road goes over the mountains, not through a tunnel.
- It is not practicable to complete the tunnel before the end of the year.
- A tunnel entrance was found within the precincts of the prison camp.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Ditches, dams & tunnels
- cut
- cutting
- dam
- dam sth up
- dike
- ditch
- dyke
- groin
- groyne
- spillway
- subway
- the Channel Tunnel
- the Chunnel
- trench
- underpass
tunnelverb [ I or T ]
uk/ˈtʌn.əl/us/ˈtʌn.əl/-ll- or US usually -l-to dig a tunnel:
The decision has not yet been made whether to tunnel under the river or build a bridge over it.
The alternative is to tunnel a route through the mountain.
He was trapped in a collapsed building but managed to tunnel his way out.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Ditches, dams & tunnels
- cut
- cutting
- dam
- dam sth up
- dike
- ditch
- dyke
- groin
- groyne
- spillway
- subway
- the Channel Tunnel
- the Chunnel
- trench
- underpass
tunneller
noun [ C ] UK US tunneler uk/ˈtʌn.əl.ər/us/ˈtʌn.əl.ɚ/