smoke-stack
Definition
- Noun:
- A tall chimney or vertical pipe: "smoke-stack" refers to a structure, typically tall and cylindrical, through which smoke or exhaust gases are discharged from a factory, locomotive, ship, or other industrial installation. It is also known as a smokestack.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The factory’s smoke-stack emitted a thick plume of grey smoke into the sky. (The tall chimney released exhaust from industrial processes.)
- The old steam locomotive had a distinctive black smoke-stack. (The vertical pipe on the train expelled smoke from burning coal.)
Advanced Usage
- "Smoke-stack industry": a term used to describe traditional, heavy manufacturing industries that often rely on large chimneys for emission, such as steel production or chemical plants.
- The region’s economy was historically based on smoke-stack industries like coal mining and steel mills. (Traditional heavy industries with prominent chimneys.)
Variants and Related Words
- Smokestack (n): an alternative spelling of "smoke-stack", often used in American English without the hyphen.
- The smokestack of the power plant could be seen for miles. (The tall chimney of the electricity plant.)
- Smoke (n): the visible gas and particles produced by burning materials.
- The smoke from the campfire rose into the air. (The gaseous product of combustion.)
- Stack (n): a vertical structure or pile; in this context, a chimney or flue.
- The stack of the factory was repaired after the storm. (The chimney structure.)
Synonyms
- Chimney: a vertical structure that conveys smoke from a fireplace or furnace.
- Flue: a duct or pipe for smoke or hot air to escape.
- Exhaust pipe: a pipe that expels waste gases from an engine or machine.
Related Idioms
- "Blow smoke": to boast or exaggerate; to mislead or deceive.
- He’s just blowing smoke about his business success. (He is exaggerating or lying.)
- "Where there’s smoke, there’s fire": if there are signs of a problem, the problem likely exists.
- The rumours about the layoffs may be true—where there’s smoke, there’s fire. (Suspicions are often based on real evidence.)