/ ˈtʃɪmni; NAmE / noun
1.
a structure through which smoke or steam is carried up away from a fire, etc. and through the roof of a building; the part of this that is above the roof :
He threw the paper onto the fire and it flew up the chimney.
the factory chimneys of an industrial landscape
—picture at house
2.
( technical ) a narrow opening in an area of rock that a person can climb up
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English (denoting a fireplace or furnace): from Old French cheminee chimney, fireplace, from late Latin caminata , perhaps from camera caminata room with a fireplace, from Latin caminus forge, furnace, from Greek kaminos oven.