🏠 A smoke passage 🎹 An organ pipe ⚓ Anchor blade

flue

9.9

A flat blade on an anchor that helps it grip the sea floor

noun
/fluː/

Specialized

: fluke

Each flue is designed to improve the anchoring capability of the device.

Examples

A broom for the shaft and a brush for the flue

Mary Poppins (1964)
The flue of the anchor helps it grip the sea bed effectively.
During the dive, the crew inspected the flue to ensure proper function.

Synonyms

fluke

vsflue

Specialized

1 8.5

A flat blade on an anchor that digs into the ground to hold the boat

is the same meaning but a different word for that part

Compounds

flue stop

Specialized

9.3

A part of an organ that makes a soft sound like a flute

flue pipe

Specialized

8.1

A pipe in an organ that makes sound when air moves across a sharp edge

Surface Forms

flue singular

flues plural

Etymology

Flue as the flat part of an anchor is harder to trace exactly, and a helpful way to remember it is to link it to the similar word fluke, which means a flat blade. That makes the flue the part that 'digs in' and helps the anchor hold the sea bed.