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You may have fun on a funicular, but the word is not related to "fun" (which comes to us from an English dialect verb meaning "to hoax"). The noun "funicular" descends from an earlier adjective funicular, meaning "relating to a cord under tension." It was also influenced by "funiculaire," a French word used for a type of railway that is dependent upon cables (or on "cords under tension"). Ultimately, these terms trace back to the Latin noun funiculus, meaning "small rope." "Funicular" first appeared in print as an adjective in English in 1664; the noun has been with us since the early 20th century.
Examples of funicular in a Sentence
Jill Barth, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024
Each level is reachable via a funicular, taking guests from the signature all-day restaurant Citron (which has dining pods suspended over the restaurant’s edge) to its white sand beach—one of the finest in the country.
—Katie Lockhart, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2024
Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 28 Oct. 2024
Plus, the view of the rivers, hills and city from the Duquesne Incline funicular is hard to beat.
—Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 10 Oct. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near funicular
Cite this Entry
“Funicular.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/funicular. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.
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funicular
adjective
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