stove·pipe
ˈstōv-ˌpīp 
1
: pipe of large diameter usually of sheet steel used as a stove chimney or to connect a stove with a flue
2
: silk hat
3
: an isolated and narrow channel of communication
Instead of streamlining Washington's ability to perform, the department clogged it up with new layers of bureaucracy and stovepipes of information.—
Christopher Cooper and Robert Block
Christopher Cooper and Robert BlockWe had 18 intelligence agencies, and they had what was called the famous stovepipes. They wouldn't share with each other, wouldn't talk to each other.—Jay Rockefeller
Jay Rockefeller
stovepiped; stovepiping; stovepipes
: to transmit (information) to a higher level in an organization through an isolated and narrow channel of communication
This [Pentagon policy] office, which circumvented the usual procedures of vetting and transparency, stovepiped many of its findings to the highest-ranking officials.—Seymour M. Hersh
Seymour M. HershExamples of stovepipe in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Bill Edwards, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
A couple of cute guys sported Pierrot pajamas and a slouchy golden-beige sweater over a black linen kilt; an hourglass black jacket—its waist nipped as if someone had inhaled in shock—came with stovepipe pants with scrunched hems; a downtown Degas tulle petticoat looked decidedly Black Swan-ish.
—Mark Holgate, Vogue, 12 Sep. 2024
These two foci have enabled the organization to help ameliorate the impact of the traditional stovepipes.
—Peter High, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024
But these national stovepipes are a peacetime luxury.
—Philip Zelikow, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023
See all Example Sentences for stovepipe 
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Noun
In the drone ecosystem, definitive stovepipes revolve around technology development.
—Bill Edwards, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
A couple of cute guys sported Pierrot pajamas and a slouchy golden-beige sweater over a black linen kilt; an hourglass black jacket—its waist nipped as if someone had inhaled in shock—came with stovepipe pants with scrunched hems; a downtown Degas tulle petticoat looked decidedly Black Swan-ish.
—Mark Holgate, Vogue, 12 Sep. 2024
These two foci have enabled the organization to help ameliorate the impact of the traditional stovepipes.
—Peter High, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024
But these national stovepipes are a peacetime luxury.
—Philip Zelikow, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2023
See all Example Sentences for stovepipe
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Dictionary Entries Near stovepipe
Cite this Entry
“Stovepipe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stovepipe. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
stovepipe
noun
stove·pipe
ˈstōv-ˌpīp
1
: a metal pipe for carrying off smoke from a stove
2
: a tall silk hat
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