canal

1 of 2

noun

ca·​nal kə-ˈnal How to pronounce canal (audio)
Synonyms of canal
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

Relevance

Noun

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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
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Noun
Much of it flows through the Central Arizona Project, the series of canals that run from the river to the Phoenix and Tucson areas. — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 Both ships were sitting at anchor near the mouth of the Sulina canal that connects the Black Sea to the Danube River, which has become a crucial shipping export route for Ukraine, Reuters reported. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 15 Oct. 2026 According to Clarksons, 36 percent of container capacity routed via the canal or the Cape of Good Hope traversed the Suez in early October, up from 8 percent between 2024 and mid-2026. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026 Tech investment has more than quadrupled in the last three years, a boom unmatched in scale or speed by the rise of railways, canals, or the Internet. — Ruchir Sharma, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026 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

Phrases Containing canal

Rhymes for canal

See All Rhymes for canal

Browse Nearby Words

canakin
canal
canalboat
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Cite this Entry

“Canal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canal. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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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

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about canal

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