canal

noun ca·nal \ kə-ˈnal \

Updated on: 20 May 2018

Definition of canal

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

See canal defined for English-language learners

See canal defined for kids

Examples of canal in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of canal from the Web

Two new sets of locks were added at the canal, one each on the Atlantic and Pacific sides, that allow for bigger ships.

— gene sloan, USA TODAY, "New Norwegian Bliss becomes biggest cruise ship ever to transit Panama Canal," 14 May 2018
SUBSCRIBE TODAY Debris in a canal on Big Pine Key in the Florida Keys, January 18, 2018.

— jenny staletovich, miamiherald, "Seven months later, Irma is still spreading misery in Keys canals and Florida Bay | Miami Herald," 10 May 2018
The gator, which was found swimming in a canal in Kitty Hawk, was captured by researchers with Coastal NC Alligator Research group.

— madeline farber, Fox News, "North Carolina researchers catch 9.5-foot alligator in Kitty Hawk canal," 8 May 2018
Protect your dog’s ears by putting a piece of cotton in each canal, and protect their eyes by asking your veterinarian for an ointment to keep the suds out.

— cathy m. rosenthal, San Antonio Express-News, "Your guide to making bath time better for your dog," 4 May 2018
Wochit Two people were killed Sunday when a car veered off a Buckeye road and landed in a nearby canal, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office .

— angel mendoza, azcentral, "MCSO: 2 dead after car veers off road, lands in Buckeye canal," 29 Apr. 2018
Media: Houston Chronicle Amenities Homeowners will also appreciate several amenities, including manicured gardens, pristine water features and canals, a spacious poolside cabana, walkable streetscapes and a dog park.

— Houston Chronicle, "Discover European-inspired homes in the heart of the city," 29 Apr. 2018
Cameras also follow a Biscayne Bay Pilot who is dispatched from PortMiami to carefully guide mega container ship the Maersk Sana through Government Cut while a Miami-Dade police chopper responds to a report of a submerged van in a canal.

— johnny diaz, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Smithsonian Channel explores Miami from the sky in upcoming 'Aerial Cities' episode," 27 Apr. 2018
Just to the west, an even more ambitious project, a 45km-long canal, bridging the Black and Marmara Seas, may soon be under way.

— The Economist, "Turkey’s president hopes to turn huge building projects into votes," 26 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'canal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of canal

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

canal Synonyms

Synonyms

aqueduct, channel, conduit, course, flume, racecourse, raceway, watercourse, waterway;

Related Words

millrace, millstream;

floodway, sluice, sluiceway, spillway;

swash, tideway, torrent;

gutter, trough;

river, rivulet, stream;

Other Anatomy Terms

bilateral symmetry, carotid, cartilage, dorsal, entrails, prehensile, renal, solar plexus, supine, thoracic, ventral

canal

verb

Definition of canal

canalled or canaled; canalling or canaling

transitive verb

: to construct a canal through or across

First Known Use of canal

1792

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Civil Engineering Terms

asphalt, ballast, barrage, cantilever, infrastructure, sluice

CANAL Defined for English Language Learners

canal

noun

Definition of canal for English Language Learners

: a long narrow place that is filled with water and was created by people so that boats could pass through it or to supply fields, crops, etc., with water
medical : a tube or passageway in the body

CANAL Defined for Kids

canal

noun ca·nal \ kə-ˈnal \

Definition of canal for Students

1 : an artificial waterway for boats or for irrigation of land

2 : a tubelike passage in the body

The ear canal leads from the opening of the ear to the eardrum.

Headscratcher for canal

Canal is part of a famous saying from around the time the Panama Canal was built. The saying is spelled the same forward and backwards. It goes: A man! A plan! A canal! Panama!