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

The festival site, which Envision leases from its owners, is itself home to emerging mangrove forests, creeks, freshwater canals, a host of tree and plant species, birds, monkeys and other wildlife. —Katie Bain, Billboard, 10 Nov. 2025

Matt Oliver, a spokesman for the Tarrant Regional Water District, said construction on a stormwater canal system is expected to begin in 2026. —Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Nov. 2025

To earn money for his education, Garfield drove canal boat teams, ultimately studying at Williams College in Massachusetts before returning to his home state of Ohio to teach classics at Western Reserve Eclectic Institute. —Francesca Gariano, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025

Only accessible by boat or plane, the park consists of canals, rainforests, and lagoons that are home to manatees, jaguars, and countless other wildlife species. —Lydia Price, Travel + Leisure, 6 Nov. 2025

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
• ghazal
• locale
• morale
• royale
• 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