6  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Channel  \Chan"nel\,  n.  [OE.  chanel,  canel,  OF  chanel,  F. 
  chenel,  fr  L.  canalis.  See  {Canal}.] 
  1.  The  hollow  bed  where  a  stream  of  water  runs  or  may  run. 
 
  2.  The  deeper  part  of  a  river,  harbor,  strait,  etc.,  where 
  the  main  current  flows,  or  which  affords  the  best  and 
  safest  passage  for  vessels. 
 
  3.  (Geog.)  A  strait,  or  narrow  sea,  between  two  portions  of 
  lands;  as  the  British  Channel. 
 
  4.  That  through  which  anything  passes;  means  of  passing, 
  conveying,  or  transmitting;  as  the  news  was  conveyed  to 
  us  by  different  channels. 
 
  The  veins  are  converging  channels.  --Dalton. 
 
  At  best,  he  is  but  a  channel  to  convey  to  the 
  National  assembly  such  matter  as  may  import  that 
  body  to  know  --Burke. 
 
  5.  A  gutter;  a  groove,  as  in  a  fluted  column. 
 
  6.  pl  [Cf.  {Chain  wales}.]  (Naut.)  Flat  ledges  of  heavy 
  plank  bolted  edgewise  to  the  outside  of  a  vessel,  to 
  increase  the  spread  of  the  shrouds  and  carry  them  clear  of 
  the  bulwarks. 
 
  {Channel  bar},  {Channel  iron}  (Arch.),  an  iron  bar  or  beam 
  having  a  section  resembling  a  flat  gutter  or  channel. 
 
  {Channel  bill}  (Zo["o]l.),  a  very  large  Australian  cuckoo 
  ({Scythrops  Nov[ae]hollandi[ae]}. 
 
  {Channel  goose}.  (Zo["o]l.)  See  {Gannet}. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Channel  \Chan"nel\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Channeled},  or 
  {Channelled};  p.  pr  &  vb  n.  {Channeling},  or 
  {Channelling}.] 
  1.  To  form  a  channel  in  to  cut  or  wear  a  channel  or  channels 
  in  to  groove. 
 
  No  more  shall  trenching  war  channel  her  fields. 
  --Shak. 
 
  2.  To  course  through  or  over  as  in  a  channel.  --Cowper. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  channel 
  n  1:  a  path  over  which  electrical  signals  can  pass  [syn:  {transmission 
  channel}] 
  2:  a  passage  for  water  (or  other  fluids)  [syn:  {conduit}] 
  3:  a  relatively  narrow  body  of  water  linking  two  larger  bodies; 
  "the  ship  went  aground  in  the  channel"  [syn:  {sound}] 
  4:  (often  plural)  a  means  of  communication  or  access  "it  must 
  go  through  official  channels";  "lines  of  communication 
  were  set  up  between  the  two  firms"  [syn:  {communication 
  channel},  {line}] 
  5:  a  bodily  passage  or  tube  conveying  a  secretion  or  other 
  substance  [syn:  {duct},  {canal}] 
  6:  a  facility  where  something  is  available  [syn:  {source}] 
  v  1:  transmit  or  serve  as  the  medium  for  transmission,  as  of 
  sounds  or  images;  "Sound  carries  well  over  water";  "The 
  airwaves  carry  the  sound";  "Many  metals  conduct  heat" 
  [syn:  {conduct},  {transmit},  {convey},  {carry}] 
  2:  direct  the  flow  of  also  used  abstractly,  as  of  money  or 
  information  [syn:  {canalize}] 
  3:  send  from  one  person  or  place  to  another;  "transmit  a 
  message"  [syn:  {transmit},  {transfer},  {transport},  {channelize}] 
 
  From  Jargon  File  (4.2.3,  23  NOV  2000)  [jargon]: 
 
  channel  n.  [IRC]  The  basic  unit  of  discussion  on  {IRC}.  Once 
  one  joins  a  channel,  everything  one  types  is  read  by  others  on  that 
  channel.  Channels  are  named  with  strings  that  begin  with  a  `#'  sign 
  and  can  have  topic  descriptions  (which  are  generally  irrelevant  to  the 
  actual  subject  of  discussion).  Some  notable  channels  are  `#initgame', 
  `#hottub',  `callahans',  and  `#report'.  At  times  of  international  crisis, 
  `#report'  has  hundreds  of  members,  some  of  whom  take  turns  listening  to 
  various  news  services  and  typing  in  summaries  of  the  news  or  in  some 
  cases,  giving  first-hand  accounts  of  the  action  (e.g.,  Scud  missile 
  attacks  in  Tel  Aviv  during  the  Gulf  War  in  1991). 
 
 
 
  From  The  Free  On-line  Dictionary  of  Computing  (13  Mar  01)  [foldoc]: 
 
  channel 
 
    (Or  "chat  room",  "room",  depending  on  the  system  in 
  question)  The  basic  unit  of  group  discussion  in  {chat}  systems 
  like  {IRC}.  Once  one  joins  a  channel,  everything  one  types  is 
  read  by  others  on  that  channel.  Channels  can  either  be  named 
  with  numbers  or  with  strings  that  begin  with  a  "#"  sign  and 
  can  have  topic  descriptions  (which  are  generally  irrelevant  to 
  the  actual  subject  of  discussion). 
 
  Some  notable  channels  are  "#initgame",  "#hottub"  and 
  "#report".  At  times  of  international  crisis,  "#report"  has 
  hundreds  of  members,  some  of  whom  take  turns  listening  to 
  various  news  services  and  typing  in  summaries  of  the  news  or 
  in  some  cases,  giving  first-hand  accounts  of  the  action 
  (e.g.  Scud  missile  attacks  in  Tel  Aviv  during  the  Gulf  War  in 
  1991). 
 
  [{Jargon  File}] 
 
  (1998-01-25) 
 
 
 
  From  Easton's  1897  Bible  Dictionary  [easton]: 
 
  Channel 
  (1.)  The  bed  of  the  sea  or  of  a  river  (Ps.  18:15;  Isa.  8:7). 
 
  (2.)  The  chanelbone"  (Job  31:22  marg.),  properly  tube"  or 
  "shaft,"  an  old  term  for  the  collar-bone. 
 

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