Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Chimney \Chim"ney\, n.; pl. Chimneys. [F. chemin['e]e, LL. caminata, fr. L. caminus furnace, fireplace, Gr. ? furnace, oven.]
A fireplace or hearth. [Obs.]
--Sir W. Raleigh.-
That part of a building which contains the smoke flues; esp. an upright tube or flue of brick or stone, in most cases extending through or above the roof of the building. Often used instead of chimney shaft.
Hard by a cottage chimney smokes.
--Milton. A tube usually of glass, placed around a flame, as of a lamp, to create a draft, and promote combustion.
-
(Min.) A body of ore, usually of elongated form, extending downward in a vein. --Raymond. Chimney board, a board or screen used to close a fireplace; a fireboard. Chimney cap, a device to improve the draught of a chimney, by presenting an exit aperture always to leeward. Chimney corner, the space between the sides of the fireplace and the fire; hence, the fireside. Chimney hook, a hook for holding pats and kettles over a fire, Chimney money, hearth money, a duty formerly paid in England for each chimney. Chimney pot (Arch.), a cylinder of earthenware or sheet metal placed at the top of a chimney which rises above the roof. Chimney swallow. (Zo["o]l.)
An American swift ( Ch[ae]ture pelasgica) which lives in chimneys.
-
In England, the common swallow ( Hirundo rustica).
Chimney sweep, Chimney sweeper, one who cleans chimneys of soot; esp. a boy who climbs the flue, and brushes off the soot.
Wiktionary
n. A person whose job is to clean soot from chimneys.
Wikipedia
A chimney sweep is a worker who clears ash and soot from chimneys. The chimney uses the pressure difference caused by a hot column of gas to create a draught and draw air over the hot coals or wood enabling continued combustion. Chimneys may be straight or contain many changes of direction. During normal operation, a layer of creosote builds up on the inside of the chimney restricting the flow. The creosote can also catch fire, setting the chimney and the building alight. The chimney must be swept to remove the soot. This was done by the master sweep.
In the United Kingdom, the master sweeps took apprentices, who were boys from the workhouse or bought them from their parents and trained them to climb chimneys. In the German States, master sweeps belonged to trade guilds and did not use climbing boys. In Italy, Belgium, and France climbing boys were used.
Usage examples of "chimney sweep".
But she did not let any unsisterly feelings show on her face when she watched the sooty and ragged little chimney sweep do her rope clowning&mdash.
He poked a pipe-cleaner through the stem of his pipe, nodded in satisfaction as it emerged from the bowl black as a chimney sweep's brush, and went on almost dreamily.
It was the custom of homeowners of the period to keep a hearth burning right to the moment when the chimney sweep and his child assistant arrived to clean the flue and if the child scorched his hands in hastening up the still-hot chimney, that was not any great concern.
A brass plate on a door announced: 'Arthur Thomas, Chimney Sweep'.
He did think, rather resentfully, that Dalamar might at least have spent some magic on a chimney sweep.
As there was none to any child born to a chimney sweep, he supposed.