— tunneler; esp. Brit., tunneller , n. — tunnellike , adj.
/tun"l/ , n. , v. , tunneled, tunneling or ( esp. Brit. ) tunnelled, tunnelling .
n.
1. an underground passage.
2. a passageway, as for trains or automobiles, through or under an obstruction, as a city, mountain, river, harbor, or the like.
3. an approximately horizontal gallery or corridor in a mine.
4. the burrow of an animal.
5. Dial. a funnel.
v.t.
6. to construct a passageway through or under: to tunnel a mountain.
7. to make or excavate (a tunnel or underground passage): to tunnel a passage under a river.
8. to move or proceed by or as if by boring a tunnel: The river tunneled its way through the mountain.
9. to pierce or hollow out, as with tunnels.
v.i.
10. to make a tunnel or tunnels: to tunnel through the Alps.
[ 1400-50; late ME tonel (n.) tonele, tonnelle funnel-shaped net, fem. of tonnel cask, dim. of tonne TUN; see -ELLE ]