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 cumulative rainfall across the canal watershed since May has been 34% below the historical average, the Panama Canal Authority said on Thursday. — Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026

Amid concerns of a further reduction in precipitation and runoff, the canal operator has already imposed multiple draft restrictions for larger Neopanamax vessels to limit the amount of freight carried through the channel. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026

According to the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington, blue spaces are natural or man-made outdoor settings that feature water in the form of rivers, lakes, oceans, ponds, canals or urban fountains. — Jeffrey Steele, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Construction of the initial sections of the canal began as long ago as the 4th century bce; it is considered by UNESCO to have been the largest engineering project in the world before the Industrial Revolution. — Scott Spires, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Aug. 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
• locale
• morale
• royale
• artisanal
• 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