pipeline
n. · v.-
1 physical pipe system (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatea very long series of pipes used to carry water, oil, or gas over long distances.
a conduit of connected pipes used to transport fluids, such as petroleum, natural gas, or water, across geographic regions.
ExampleThe company is building a new pipeline to carry natural gas to the coast.
ExampleEnvironmental groups raised concerns about the proposed pipeline, fearing that a leak could contaminate the local groundwater supply.
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2 business or project process (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatea process where things are being planned or developed for the future.
a metaphorical system or sequence through which products, projects, or candidates are processed or developed.
ExampleWe have several new video games in the pipeline for next year.
ExampleThe pharmaceutical firm has three promising new drugs in its research pipeline, though none will reach the market for several years.
UsageOften used in the phrase 'in the pipeline' to mean 'under development'.
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3 computing data flow (n.) C1 Advanced Technical Computinga way for a computer to process data in a series of steps, one after another.
a sequence of data processing stages where the output of one element is the input of the next.
ExampleThe graphics pipeline handles how the computer draws 3D objects on your screen.
ExampleModern processors use instruction pipelining to execute multiple commands simultaneously, significantly increasing the overall throughput of the system.
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4 to transport via pipes (v.) C1 Advanced Technicalto move a liquid or gas through a system of pipes.
to convey a substance through a network of pipes. Transitive — requires a direct object.
ExampleFresh water is pipelined from the mountains to the dry plains below.
ExampleThe refinery is designed to pipeline crude oil directly from the offshore rigs to the processing facility.
From pipe + line.