canal

1 of 2

noun

ca·​nal kə-ˈnal 

1

: a tubular anatomical passage or channel : duct

2

: channel, watercourse

3

: an artificial waterway for navigation or for draining or irrigating land

4

: any of various faint narrow lines on the planet Mars seen through telescopes and once thought by some to be canals built by Martians

canal

2 of 2

verb

canalled or canaled; canalling or canaling

transitive verb

: to construct a canal through or across

Synonyms

Noun

• aqueduct
• channel
• conduit
• course
• flume
• racecourse
• raceway
• watercourse
• waterway

Examples of canal in a Sentence

Noun

the Panama Canal opened a much easier and shorter passageway from the Atlantic to the Pacific

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Hotel du Palais de l'Isle overlooks a quiet canal—one of the many that earned the city of Annecy its Venice of France monicker. —Michael Venutolo-Mantovani, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Dec. 2024

Romeo Florez-Perez, 24, was sought in a homicide investigation by the agency that began after a body was discovered near the Emory Street canal around 8 a.m. Nov. 28, according to a press release Wednesday from the agency. —Silas Morgan, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Dec. 2024

The magazine noted his leadership in a project to install solar panels over canals, which generates electricity and slows evaporation. —Joan Meiners, The Arizona Republic, 26 Nov. 2024

The collapsing ground has damaged canals, wells and other infrastructure, requiring repairs that in some areas are now in the hundreds of millions of dollars. —Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Latin canalis pipe, channel, from canna reed — more at cane

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1792, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing canal

• alimentary canal
• birth canal
• ear canal
• haversian canal
• resin canal
• root canal
• semicircular canal
• spinal canal
• stone canal
• vertebral canal

Kids Definition

canal

noun

ca·​nal

kə-ˈnal

1

: a tube-shaped bodily passage or channel : duct

2

: an artificial waterway for boats or for draining or irrigating land

3

: any of various faint narrow lines on the planet Mars seen through telescopes and formerly thought to be canals built by Martians

Medical Definition

canal

noun

ca·​nal kə-ˈnal 

: a tubular anatomical passage or channel : duct see alimentary canal, Haversian canal, inguinal canal