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

In Syracuse, visitors can explore the Erie Canal Museum and stroll along the revitalized downtown canal district. —Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 12 Mar. 2026

The association further claims the developers engaged in bad faith actions, including inflating operating expense projections by 300-400%, using costly municipal water instead of canal water, installing substandard materials, and failing to maintain access trails. —Awilda Esteras, Miami Herald, 12 Mar. 2026

Including recent reports that a woman’s body was found in a canal in Phoenix, Arizona. —Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 10 Mar. 2026

The road with its bridge encouraged immigration, and Irish workers flooded into England to build canals and roads. —Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 9 Mar. 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
• 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