: a light narrow boat that has both ends tapered to a point, is propelled by a double-bladed paddle, and often has a closed top except for an opening in which the paddler sits with the legs extended straight out in front:
a
: a traditional boat that is typically associated with the Indigenous peoples (such as the Aleuts and Inuits) of Alaska, Canada, and Greenland, is usually made of a frame of wood or bone covered with animal skin, and is used especially for hunting and transport
Similar stone pillars guided Inuit seafarers traveling by umiak or kayak along the complex coasts of their realm.—
Fred Bruemmer
Fred Bruemmer
b
: a boat that is based on the traditional kayak and is typically made of plastic or fiberglass and is used especially for recreational purposes
Today's recreationists likewise have discovered that, among paddle-powered boats, the kayak has no equal for its graceful combination of lightness, portability, seaworthiness and speed.—Peter Stark
Peter StarkExamples of kayak in a Sentence
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This week's episode, which aired on TV Wednesday and was available to Paramount+ subscribers Thursday morning, saw competitors cross an arctic lake in kayaks and hold their bodyweight to cross a ravine in a zipline-style challenge.
—Holly V. Hays, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Nov. 2024
Morris’s neighbor, John Arndt, a recreational kayaker from Oregon, grabbed some rope and jumped in one of the kayaks stored outside his house and paddled out to people and pulled them toward an island of higher ground where Morris and other neighbors had gathered.
—Jess Craig, Vox, 17 Nov. 2024
But for now, hikers can relax among its expansive marshlands or kayak on the Napa River.
—Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 30 Oct. 2024
Next to Kristensen, a support kayak was having to paddle backward just to keep even with his sluggish pace.
—Owen Clarke, Outside Online, 30 Oct. 2024
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Holly V. Hays, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Nov. 2024
Morris’s neighbor, John Arndt, a recreational kayaker from Oregon, grabbed some rope and jumped in one of the kayaks stored outside his house and paddled out to people and pulled them toward an island of higher ground where Morris and other neighbors had gathered.
—Jess Craig, Vox, 17 Nov. 2024
But for now, hikers can relax among its expansive marshlands or kayak on the Napa River.
—Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 30 Oct. 2024
Next to Kristensen, a support kayak was having to paddle backward just to keep even with his sluggish pace.
—Owen Clarke, Outside Online, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for kayak
Articles Related to kayak
Dictionary Entries Near kayak
Cite this Entry
“Kayak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kayak. Accessed 4 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
kayak
noun
kay·ak
ˈkī-ˌak 
1
: a canoe used by various Indigenous peoples of northern North America, Greenland, and eastern Siberia and made of a frame covered with skins except for a small opening in the center
2
: a small canoe resembling a kayak
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