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

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 canal sees 46 percent of the total market share of containers moving from Northeast Asia to the U.S. East Coast, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. —Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 28 July 2025

The canals are packed with partygoers during annual festivals such as King’s Day (formerly Queen’s Day) in April and Gay Pride and Grachtenfestival in August. 7. —Chloe Arrojado, AFAR Media, 25 July 2025

The advocacy will not stop and, in the meanwhile, the lands once part of the project have been designated as the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway, in honor of her fight against the canal. —Jay Reddick, The Orlando Sentinel, 24 July 2025

This small city is the eponymous capital of Chiba Prefecture, known for its charming canals lined with cute little shops and cafés. —Catherine Heald, Travel + Leisure, 22 July 2025

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