canoe

1 of 2

noun

ca·​noe kə-ˈnü How to pronounce canoe (audio)
: a light narrow boat with both ends sharp that is usually propelled by paddling

canoe

2 of 2

verb

canoed; canoeing

transitive verb

: to transport in a canoe
also : to travel by canoe down (a river)

intransitive verb

: to go or travel in a canoe
canoeable adjective
canoeist noun
canoer noun

Examples of canoe in a Sentence

Verb He canoed down the river to the camp. They canoed part of the Colorado River this summer.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
To explore the area, visitors can hike, canoe, or hop aboard a boat on the Lemmenjoki River. Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 15 Nov. 2023 Old Mill Park also has a beach and a launching area for canoes and kayaks. Benjamin C Tankersley, Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2023 Saar — a trailblazer of the Assemblage movement — acknowledges the influence that nature has had in her career, immersing viewers even further into the outdoors with emulated twilight, mesmerizing blue hues and a canoe. Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2023 There are two boat houses—a dry boat house/workshop and another with two slips and lifts—plus storage for kayaks, canoes, and other water toys. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 2 Nov. 2023 In Tefé, a rural municipality in the northwestern Amazon, residents are crossing muddy stretches of lake bed on motorcycles and paddling canoes down narrow streams that were once rivers. Manuela Andreoni, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2023 Nonetheless, after a couple of days the two men fled by canoe at night, paddling to a nearby town. Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2023 The Osa Peninsula in southwestern Costa Rica, the Skeleton Coast in Namibia, and to travel down the Zambezi river in a canoe. Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Oct. 2023 Head to Maui to watch Santa arrive on Wailea Beach by outrigger canoe — no sleighs or reindeer here. Teresa Bergen, Travel + Leisure, 14 Oct. 2023
Verb
Together, these components contribute to the Soft Pack’s leakproof construction and ability to float, which comes in handy when canoeing, kayaking, or swimming about. Kevin Brouillard, Travel + Leisure, 20 Sep. 2023 Now in his early 60s, he’s spent his life on the water, kayaking and canoeing down most of the rivers in Southwest Texas. Cat Cardenas, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2023 This late-twenties couple had stumbled into the Ozarks a week before and hadn’t stopped canoeing, fishing, and hiking. Mike Bezemek, Outside Online, 13 Apr. 2023 The ability for Huntsville residents to go kayaking or canoeing not far from where they are entertained by their favorite musical acts at the Orion Amphitheater is a little closer to reality. Scott Turner | , al, 6 Aug. 2023 Visitors to the park can enjoy surface and subsurface exploration, canoeing the Green River, hiking, camping, and horseback riding. Josh Laskin, Travel + Leisure, 1 Sep. 2023 Go canoeing or hiking, or just drive around and take tons of cool pics. Kristin Koch, Seventeen, 28 Aug. 2023 The area itself is chock-full of natural beauty and recreational activities, everything from kayaking and canoeing to paddle boarding and hiking. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 31 Aug. 2023 Thomas spent his summers fishing and canoeing with family. cleveland, 1 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'canoe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, from New Latin canoa, from Spanish, from Arawakan, of Cariban origin; akin to Carib kana:wa canoe

First Known Use

Noun

1555, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1794, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of canoe was in 1555

Dictionary Entries Near canoe

Cite this Entry

“Canoe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canoe. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

canoe

1 of 2 noun
ca·​noe kə-ˈnü How to pronounce canoe (audio)
: a long light narrow boat with pointed ends and curved sides that is usually moved by someone using a paddle

canoe

2 of 2 verb
canoed; canoeing
: to travel or carry in a canoe
canoeist noun

More from Merriam-Webster on canoe

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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