Definition

1. Noun:
   • A tall cylindrical hat for men: A stovepipe is a type of formal man's hat characterized by a very tall, straight-sided crown, traditionally covered in materials like silk or beaver fur.
   • A large-diameter metal pipe for a stove: A stovepipe is a pipe, typically made of metal, that connects a stove to a chimney flue to carry away smoke and gases.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Hat):

  • The gentleman tipped his stovepipe as he walked down the street.
  • In the 19th century, a stovepipe hat was a common part of formal attire.

• Noun (Pipe):

  • The installer attached a new stovepipe to the wood-burning stove.
  • Make sure the stovepipe is clean to prevent a chimney fire.

Advanced Usage

• "Stovepipe system" or "Stovepiping": In modern organizational jargon, this term metaphorically describes a rigid, vertical structure where information or resources flow only up and down within isolated departments without sharing across the organization.
  • The company's stovepipe departments hindered innovation and collaboration.

Variants and Related Words

• Stovepipe hat (n): The full term for the tall cylindrical hat.
• Stovepiping (n/adj): The act or characteristic of functioning as a stovepipe system.
• Chimney pipe (n): A synonym for the pipe connecting a stove to a flue.

Synonyms

• For the hat: Top hat, high hat, silk hat.
• For the pipe: Flue pipe, chimney connector, exhaust pipe.

Related Idioms or Phrases

• "Stovepipe thinking": A mindset characterized by isolation and lack of communication between different parts of an organization.
  • The project failed due to stovepipe thinking between the engineering and marketing teams.

Noun

1. a man's hat with a tall crown; usually covered with silk or with beaver fur
2. chimney consisting of a metal pipe of large diameter that is used to connect a stove to a flue