1. Home
2. Idioms
3. tunnel

tunnel

---

---

ear tunnel

1. A short, cylindrical piece of jewelry that is fitted to one's earlobe, stretching it in such a way as to create a visible opening through the flesh. I'm in support of all forms of body modification, but the thought of getting an ear tunnel still gives me the willies.

2. The visible opening through the flesh of the earlobe that results from such a piercing. I think she tried to stretch her ear tunnel too fast, and now it's pretty badly infected.

See also: ear, tunnel

tunnel through something

to make a tunnel or passageway through something or a group of people. Roger had to tunnel through the crowd to get to the rest room. The workers tunneled through the soft soil to reach the buried cable.

See also: tunnel

tunnel under someone or something

to dig a tunnel under someone or something. All the time she was standing in the yard talking about the moles, they were tunneling under her. They took many months to tunnel under the English Channel.

See also: tunnel

tunnel vision

 

1. Lit. a visual impairment wherein one can only see what is directly ahead of oneself. I have tunnel vision, so I have to keep looking from side to side.

2. Fig. an inability to recognize other ways of doing things or thinking about things. The boss really has tunnel vision about sales and marketing. He sees no reason to change anything.

See also: tunnel

(the) light at the end of the tunnel

the end of a difficult period or job At this point, there is no light at the end of the tunnel because we have to start over. Once I could see light at the end of the tunnel, writing the last part of the book wasn't so hard.

See also: end, light, of, tunnel

light at the end of the tunnel

something which makes you believe that a difficult or unpleasant situation will end We're halfway through our exams now, so we can see light at the end of the tunnel . Unemployment is still rising but analysts assure us there is light at the end of the tunnel.

See also: end, light, of, tunnel

light at the end of the tunnel

The end of a difficult situation or task, the solution to a difficult problem. For example, It's taken three years to effect this merger, but we're finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel . This metaphoric expression dates from the 1800s, but became widespread only in the mid-1900s.

See also: end, light, of, tunnel

light at the end of the tunnel

The prospect of success, relief, or escape after strenuous effort.

See also: end, light, of, tunnel