This week's word : smoke stack

ChrisJ

So.

Where did the term smoke stack come from and why?   This of course also lead to the term "stack effect" as well.

Is it because we stack pipes?  Is it because the smoke stacks in the pipe?

Hmmm.

EBEBRATT-Ed

A stack that contains smoke. probably from the coal era.

ChrisJ

EBEBRATT-Ed said:

A stack that contains smoke. probably from the coal era.

Maybe.

Why "stack"?

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

Kind of strange that they were originally called stalks and that a cluster of stalks was called a stack. Maybe stack is easier to understand when spoken than stalk. Also, men like to say stacked; or, used to.

Thanks for the history lesson, @DJD775!

ChrisJ

DJD775

I don't know if this totally clears it up but interesting nonetheless.
https://smithheritagesurveyors.com/a-brief-history-of-chimneys-chimney-stacks-and-chimneys-pots/#:~:text=In Middle English it was,superstructure of the stack, i.e..

EBEBRATT-Ed

I usually think of a stack as a metal chimney, but plenty of people call masonry chimneys stacks.

It's almost like residential is a chimney and commercial/industrial is a stack.

Same with ships " the stack is smoking" they would never say the chimney is smoking.

ChrisJ

EBEBRATT-Ed said:

I usually think of a stack as a metal chimney, but plenty of people call masonry chimneys stacks. It's almost like residential is a chimney and commercial/industrial is a stack. Same with ships " the stack is smoking" they would never say the chimney is smoking.

On ships they're funnels, no?

We also have plumbing. Drain stacks etc. 

KC_Jones