chan·nel 1 (ch?n??l)n.1. The bed of a stream or river.2. The deeper part of a river or harbor, especially a deep navigable passage.3. A broad strait, especially one that connects two seas.4. A trench, furrow, or groove.5. A tubular passage for liquids; a conduit.6. A course or pathway through which information is transmitted: new channels of thought; a reliable channel of information.7. often channels A route of communication or access: took her request through official channels.8. In communications theory, a gesture, action, sound, written or spoken word, or visual image used in transmitting information.9. a. Electronics A specified frequency band for the transmission and reception of electromagnetic signals, as for television signals.b. A continuous program of audio or video content distributed by a television, radio, or internet broadcaster.c. A company or other entity presenting such content.10. Computers A chatroom on an online network.11. The medium through which a spirit guide purportedly communicates with the physical world.12. A rolled metal bar with a bracket-shaped section.13. a. See ion channel.b. See protein channel.tr.v. chan·neled, chan·nel·ing, chan·nels also chan·nelled or chan·nel·ling 1. To make or cut channels in.2. To form a groove or flute in.3. To direct or guide along some desired course: channels her curiosity into research; channel young people into good jobs.4. To serve as a medium for (a spirit guide).5. To use or follow as a model; imitate: a politician channeling bygone conservatives to appear stronger on defense.[Middle English chanel, from Old French, from Latin can?lis; see canal.]chan?nel·er n.chan·nel 2 (ch?n??l)n. Nautical A wood or steel ledge projecting from a sailing ship’s sides to spread the shrouds and keep them clear of the gunwales.[Alteration of obsolete chainwale : chain + wale.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.channel (?t?æn?l) n1. (Physical Geography) a broad strait connecting two areas of sea2. (Physical Geography) the bed or course of a river, stream, or canal3. (Nautical Terms) a navigable course through a body of water4. (often plural) a means or agency of access, communication, etc: to go through official channels. 5. a course into which something can be directed or moved: a new channel of thought. 6. (Electronics) electronics a. a band of radio frequencies assigned for a particular purpose, esp the broadcasting of a television signalb. a path for an electromagnetic signal: a stereo set has two channels. c. a thin semiconductor layer between the source and drain of a field-effect transistor, the conductance of which is controlled by the gate voltage7. a tubular or trough-shaped passage for fluids8. (Architecture) a groove or flute, as in the shaft of a column9. (Computer Science) computing a. a path along which data can be transmitted between a central processing unit and one or more peripheral devicesb. one of the lines along the length of a paper tape on which information can be stored in the form of punched holes10. (Metallurgy) short for channel ironvb, -nels, -nelling or -nelled, -nels, -neling or -neled11. to provide or be provided with a channel or channels; make or cut channels in (something)12. (tr) to guide into or convey through a channel or channels: information was channelled through to them. 13. (Alternative Belief Systems) to serve as a medium through whom the spirit of (a person of a former age) allegedly communicates with the living14. (tr) to exhibit the traits of (another person) in one?s actions15. (Architecture) (tr) to form a groove or flute in (a column, etc)[C13: from Old French chanel, from Latin can?lis pipe, groove, conduit; see canal] ?channeller, ?channeler nchannel (?t?æn?l) n (Nautical Terms) nautical a flat timber or metal ledge projecting from the hull of a vessel above the chainplates to increase the angle of the shrouds[C18: variant of earlier chainwale; see chain, wale1 (planking)]Channel (?t?æn?l) n (Placename) the Channel short for English ChannelCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014chan?nel1 (?t?æn l) n., v. -neled, -nel?ing (esp. Brit.) -nelled, -nel?ling. n. 1. the bed of a stream, river, or other waterway. 2. a navigable route between two bodies of water. 3. the deeper part of a waterway. 4. a wide strait, as between a continent and an island. 5. a course into which something may be directed: to direct a conversation to a new channel. 6. a route through which anything passes or progresses: channels of trade. 7. channels, the official course or means of communication: going through channels to reach the governor. 8. a means of access: The Senate is his channel to the White House. 9. channeler (def. 2). 10. a flute in a column. 11. a frequency band of sufficient width for one- or two-way communication from or to a transmitter for TV, radio, CB radio, telephone, or telegraph communication. 12. bus 1 (def. 5). 13. the two signals in stereophonic or any single signal in multichannel sound recording and reproduction. 14. a transient opening made by a protein structure embedded in a cell membrane, permitting passage of specific ions or molecules into or out of the cell: calcium channel. 15. a tubular passage for liquids or fluids. 16. a. any structural member, as one of reinforced concrete, having the form of three sides of a rectangle. b. a number of such members. c. a flanged metal beam or bar with a U-shaped cross section. v.t. 17. to convey through or as if through a channel. 18. to direct toward or into some particular course: to channel one’s interests. 19. to excavate as a channel. 20. to form a channel in. 21. to reach, or convey messages from, by channeling: to channel an ancient Egyptian spirit. v.i. 22. to become marked by a channel: Soft earth channels during a heavy rain. 23. to perform channeling. [1250?1300; Middle English chanel