channel

I. noun Etymology: Middle English chanel, from Anglo-French, from Latin canalis channel — more at canal Date: 14th century 1. a. the bed where a natural stream of water runs b. the deeper part of a river, harbor, or strait c. a strait or narrow sea between two close landmasses d. a means of communication or expression: as (1) a path along which information (as data or music) in the form of an electrical signal passes (2) plural a fixed or official course of communication <

went through established military channels with his grievances

> e. a way, course, or direction of thought or action <

new channels of exploration

> f. a band of frequencies of sufficient width for a single radio or television communication g. channeler 2. a. a usually tubular enclosed passage ; conduit b. a passage created in a selectively permeable cell membrane by a conformational change in membrane proteins; also the proteins of such a passage — compare ion channel 3. a long gutter, groove, or furrow 4. a metal bar of flattened U-shaped section II. transitive verb (-neled or -nelled; -neling or -nelling) Date: 15th century 1. a. to form, cut, or wear a channel in b. to make a groove in <

channel a chair leg

> 2. to convey or direct into or through a channel <

channel his energy into useful work

> 3. to serve as a channeler or intermediary for III. noun Etymology: alteration of chainwale, from 1chain + 1wale Date: 1769 one of the flat ledges of heavy plank or metal bolted edgewise to the outside of a ship to increase the spread of the shrouds