A vertical or steeply inclined passageway or slide in mines or industrial settings, used to move materials downward from an upper level.
From 'head' (upper end or starting point) + 'chute' (from French 'chute' meaning a fall, ultimately from Latin 'cadere' meaning to fall). Used in mining and industrial contexts since the 19th century.
Mining terminology created many compound words with 'head' and 'chute'—these terms are so specific they've remained largely unchanged for over a century!
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