— siphonal, siphonic /suy fon"ik/ , adj. — siphonless , adj. — siphonlike , adj.
/suy"feuhn/ , n.
1. a tube or conduit bent into legs of unequal length, for use in drawing a liquid from one container into another on a lower level by placing the shorter leg into the container above and the longer leg into the one below, the liquid being forced up the shorter leg and into the longer one by the pressure of the atmosphere.
2. See siphon bottle .
3. a projecting tubular part of some animals, esp. certain mollusks, through which liquid enters or leaves the body.
v.t. , v.i.
4. to convey, draw, or pass through or as if through a siphon (sometimes fol. by off ): to siphon water; to siphon off profits into a secret bank account.
Also, syphon .
[ 1650-60; siphon- (s. of sipho ) síphon, síphon pipe, tube ]