Steep inclined channels or slides for conveying things to a lower level, or parachutes used for descent.
From French 'chute' meaning 'fall', derived from the past participle of 'choir' (to fall). The word entered English in the 19th century, initially referring to waterfalls, then extended to artificial slides and parachutes.
The word 'chutes' beautifully demonstrates how one concept can spawn multiple meanings - from natural waterfalls to playground slides to life-saving parachutes, all unified by the basic idea of controlled descent through gravity.
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