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 of canal

Noun

• aqueduct
• 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

As Jan races north along the canals, his unwanted passengers force him to confront a reality far removed from his own and to see life from a new perspective. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 12 Aug. 2026

Turning back to the Middle East, disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have driven up demand for transit through the Panama Canal, with canal tolls reaching record highs. — CNBC, 12 Aug. 2026

Like the canal the two girls like to go swimming in as kids, their lives are never the same each time Sanguinetti’s lenses dip into them. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 11 Aug. 2026

In the morning, travelers will awake among the graceful canals and bridges of Venice, with a private water taxi to ferry them into the heart of the Venetian lagoon to explore the city’s many islands. — Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Aug. 2026

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

Rhymes for canal

• chorale
• corral
• locale
• morale
• royale
• artisanal
• bal
• dal
• gal
• mal
• pal
• sal

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