canal

1 of 2

noun

ca·​nal kə-ˈnal How to pronounce canal (audio)
1
: a tubular anatomical passage or channel : duct
2
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Accounts in newspapers from the late 1800s and early 1900s describe manatee sightings in warm water refuges including canals, harbors, yacht basins, and even areas near power plants. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 20 Nov. 2024 There’s a scene where the two characters are walking above this really long mural that’s been painted on a canal. Alex Jhamb Burns, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Nov. 2024 In Valencia, search efforts continued while authorities combed through homes and thousands of wrecked vehicles scattered across streets, highways, and canals that had funneled last week's devastating floods into residential areas. David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024 Ahead of the inaugural May 11, 2026 cruise to Alaska, the MSC Poesia will journey to Seattle from Miami via the Panama Canal, allowing cruisers to transit through the iconic canal. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 29 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for canal 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of canal was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near canal

Cite this Entry

“Canal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canal. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

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 How to pronounce canal (audio)
: a tubular anatomical passage or channel : duct see alimentary canal, Haversian canal, inguinal canal

More from Merriam-Webster on canal

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