canal

noun ca·nal \ kə-ˈnal \

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

Without enough drinking water to go around, many people drank from the muddy canals around the fields.

— Washington Post, "AP PHOTOS: Rohingya Muslims await chance to enter Bangladesh," 2 Nov. 2017
In the midst of deputies' attempts to capture Merchant at the scene, the supsect jumped into canal and managed to escape.

— jared boyd, AL.com, "Sheriff's deputies search for man reportedly swinging bat at pedestrians on highway," 24 Oct. 2017
Saudi Arabia is building a port on its west coast, near Jeddah, just south of the Suez canal.

— The Economist, "Economic GulfThe boycott of Qatar is hurting its enforcers," 19 Oct. 2017
In advance of the storm, the South Florida Water Management District has again started moving water through canals to make room for more.

— jenny staletovich, miamiherald, "New storm growing more likely off Florida coast," 29 Sep. 2017
Another, the Institute of Foreign Languages in Phnom Penh, combines a fanlike tower and reflecting pools that mirror the canals of Angkor.

— julia wallace, New York Times, "Vann Molyvann, Architect Who Shaped Cambodia’s Capital, Dies at 90," 28 Sep. 2017
Some fairways would be shortened and a canal would be added to boost water quality, but the course would remain 18 holes and both the driving range and putting green would survive.

— david garrick, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Golfers rallying to save Mission Bay Golf Course," 22 Sep. 2017
He was killed by Punjab police officers the following month and his body was dumped in a canal, never to be retrieved, court papers said.

— agnes constante, NBC News, "California City Renames Park After Sikh Human Rights Advocate," 6 Sep. 2017
The park's canal boat replica, which had been subjected to the elements, fell under disrepair.

— brittany nader, cleveland.com, "Keep Akron Beautiful completes Lowe's Community Partner Grant revitalization project," 11 Oct. 2017

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!