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
• channel
• conduit
• course
• flume
• racecourse
• raceway
• watercourse
• 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

In the 1970s, diverse forces on the right came together to fight against ceding control of the canal to Panama, seeing the move as weak and antithetical to American interests. —Aaron Coy Moulton / Made By History, TIME, 16 Jan. 2025

The firefighters fought for hours to extinguish the blaze but were unable to save the home, which is located on a canal on the eastern side of Lake Okeechobee, and two cars in the garage, including a red 1955 Ford Thunderbird. —Kc Baker, People.com, 15 Jan. 2025

President Carter agreed to give the Panamanians control of the canal for many reasons, one of which was that this country was perceived as a colonial threat. —Ken Silverstein, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025

Building the 25-foot-deep canal requires digging into hard limestone. —Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 10 Jan. 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

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