canal

noun ca·nal \ kə-ˈnal \

|Updated on: 15 Jul 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

The apartment complex is just off of one of Boise's busier streets, separated from the traffic by one of the many irrigation canals that run through the city.

— rebecca boone, Fox News, "Police: Motive unclear in birthday party stabbing attack," 2 July 2018
The apartment complex is just off of one of Boise's busier streets, separated from the traffic by one of the many irrigation canals that run through the city.

— NBC News, "Boise stabbing: 9 injured in attack at Idaho apartment complex," 1 July 2018
The apartment complex is just off of one of Boise's busier streets, separated from the traffic by one of the many irrigation canals that run through the city.

— CBS News, "Suspect arrested in Idaho mass stabbing that injured 9," 1 July 2018
The apartment complex is just off of one of Boise's busier streets, separated from the traffic by one of the many irrigation canals that run through the city.

— rebecca boone, chicagotribune.com, "6 children among 9 injured in Idaho mass stabbing," 1 July 2018
The body of an 11-year-old Hispanic boy who fell into a Meadow Vista canal was recovered Sunday night, according to the Placer County Sheriff's Office.

— benjy egel, sacbee, "Boy's body found after falling into Placer County canal | The Sacramento Bee," 2 Apr. 2018
At least 10 people died, including a baby in a car that plunged off a slippery overpass into a Louisiana canal.

— lizzy acker, OregonLive.com, "Does that snowflake on your phone really mean snow in Portland next week?," 18 Jan. 2018
Four people died in Louisiana, including an 8-month-old baby in a car that slid into a canal in suburban New Orleans.

— jacob beltran, San Antonio Express-News, "Wintry weather left city unscathed Wednesday as warming trend continues," 17 Jan. 2018
Hundreds of pairs flock to the city to scavenge for fish near markets and canals.

— elaina zachos, National Geographic, "Why This Zoo Lion Killed a Lost Water Bird," 28 June 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!