Smokestack: meaning, definitions and examples

industrial equipment

A smokestack is a tall, vertical structure that serves to vent smoke and gases from a facility, particularly those that burn fossil fuels. Smokestacks are typically found on factories, power plants, and ships, allowing harmful emissions to be released high into the atmosphere. This helps to disperse pollutants over a larger area, minimizing their concentration at ground level. The height of a smokestack is critical for effective emission control, as it influences the spread and dilution of pollutants. Modern regulations often require emissions monitoring and control systems to be integrated with smokestack designs.

chimney, exhaust pipe, flue, vent

Examples of usage

• The smokestack emitted thick, black smoke.

• Workers climbed up to inspect the smokestack.

• The factory's smokestack towered over the landscape.

• They installed filters on the smokestack to reduce pollution.