Chunnel
(ˈtʃʌnəl)
Also chunnel.
[Blend of channel n.1 4 a and tunnel n. 4.]
A name applied colloq. to a projected tunnel under the English Channel. Hence ˈchunnel v. intr., to construct such a tunnel; and various nonce derivatives.
| 1928 Word-Lore III. 136 Chunnel (Channel tunnel). 1957 N.Y. Times Mag. 17 Nov. 55/1 A channel tunnel?.. My newspaper christened the project ‘The Chunnel’. 1959 Daily Mail 4 Apr. 5/1 The Chunnel test starts. 1960 Observer 31 July 2/8 He has now come out firmly as a chunnel man. 1962 Punch 14 Nov. 728/3 Chunnellers have been busy since 1802, planning first a bored tunnel. 1963 Observer 15 Sept. 9/4 A..consortium devoted to Channel-tunnelling, or ‘chunnelling’, and hoping to make money out of it. If the Group now actually starts to chunnel..it will be the first time for 80 years [etc.]. |