Siphoning

Siphoning is the act of drawing off or transferring a liquid, typically from one container to another, using a siphon. A siphon is a tube or pipe bent into a U-shape that uses atmospheric pressure to cause a liquid to flow upwards over an intermediate elevation before flowing down to a lower level. The process relies on creating a vacuum at the siphon's outlet. siphoning can also be used more broadly to describe the surreptitious or illicit removal of something, such as funds or data, often without the owner's knowledge or consent. It implies a clandestine, often dishonest extraction of resources or assets.

Siphoning meaning with examples

• The resourceful campers used a length of tubing to siphon water from the stream into their storage containers. It was the perfect example of practical siphoning, relying on simple physics to transport the liquid. They carefully primed the tube, ensuring there were no air bubbles that could disrupt the flow and kept the container's exit lower than the stream's level. They knew how to survive and were glad they had their siphoning skills.
• The company's accountant was caught siphoning funds from the company's accounts. It was discovered that she had created a series of shell accounts to move money to herself. She had a sophisticated scheme involving digital transfers. This illegal siphoning devastated the business. This resulted in a police investigation and legal action against her.
• Environmentalists were concerned about the ongoing siphoning of groundwater by local farmers. The constant removal of water had led to the depletion of local reserves and they believed that eventually their crops would suffer and they would lose water for the community. Authorities were considering restrictions on well usage to protect the area's future water supply. The local environment suffered due to the siphoning.
• The news outlets reported that hackers were successful in siphoning confidential customer data from the online retailer's database. This cyber siphoning involved exploiting security vulnerabilities to gain access to private information such as credit card details. The event had the potential to cause huge reputational damage. The company assured customers they were working to fix the problem and restore customer confidence.
• In the old spy novel, the double agent was siphoning classified documents to his contact every evening. He took advantage of his access to government secrets and this illegal siphoning was dangerous. The plot involved secret drop offs and encoded messages. His betrayal would have huge international consequences for national security.