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

With beautiful sites like Saint Peter’s Square covered with a sprinkling of snow, Venice's canals lined with fewer crowds, or the picturesque, ski-ready Dolomites, Italy can be an amazing winter destination—and this American living in the Bel Paese is here to tell you exactly how to dress for it. —Nneya Richards, Travel + Leisure, 22 Nov. 2025

The architects and builders in filmmaker Samuel Dameus’ latest documentary take great pride in their role in building the Ouanaminthe canal along the Massacre River, which creates the northern border between Haiti and the neighboring Dominican Republic. —Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 20 Nov. 2025

Despite the noise and busy waterways, a dolphin with a cute nickname has been hanging out in the canals of Venice. —Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 18 Nov. 2025

State police said the man was found on Saturday on the canal path of the 8000 block of Woodside Drive after a passerby alerted authorities. —Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 18 Nov. 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