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
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Noun
Prior to the event, McConnell told USA TODAY that the Chicago River Swim was inspired by a similar ALS swim in the canals of Amsterdam that has been running since 2011. Melina Khan, USA Today, 22 Sep. 2025 Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images To free up additional vessel slots for LNG, the canal is also in the process of an ambitious pipeline project, creating what is being called the Interoceanic Energy Corridor. Lori Ann Larocco, CNBC, 19 Sep. 2025 In the 1880s, the French engineer-entrepreneur teamed with the French government on a disastrous plan to build a canal across Panama, linking the Pacific Ocean with the Caribbean Sea and thus the Atlantic Ocean. U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025 The most common, otitis externa, affects the outer ear canal, while otitis media and otitis interna involve the middle and inner ear. Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Canal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canal. Accessed 24 Sep. 2025.

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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