canal

1 of 2

noun

ca·​nal kə-ˈnal How to pronounce canal (audio)
1
: a tubular anatomical passage or channel : duct
2
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

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
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Noun
In Arizona, almost half of the water flowing through the Central Arizona Project canal goes to Native American Tribes, meaning that Phoenix and its suburbs are going to face the lion’s share of the state’s cuts. The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 13 Oct. 2025 In Flagler County, numerous docks flooded and waves were topping over some seawalls along a series of canals off the Intracoastal in Palm Coast, and a few inches of tidal flooding was reported in the oceanfront community of Flagler Beach, emergency officials told the weather service. Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 11 Oct. 2025 Testing of snakeheads from a number of different canals also has shown very low levels of mercury in their flesh. Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2025 Weighing around 220 lbs and measuring 59 feet in length, the device was carefully lowered into the canal by crane. Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for canal

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of canal was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Canal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canal. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

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 How to pronounce canal (audio)
: a tubular anatomical passage or channel : duct see alimentary canal, Haversian canal, inguinal canal

More from Merriam-Webster on canal

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