Canal
/kəˈnæl/
nounBeginner📊CommonGeneral
2 meanings2 questions
Definitions
2 meanings1
An artificial waterway for navigation, irrigation, or drainage.
/kəˈnæl/
nounneutralBeginner
General
An artificial waterway
Boats travel through the canal.
💡 Simply: A man-made water path.
More Examples
2
The canal provides irrigation for the farmland.
How It's Used
Geography
"The Panama Canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans."
Engineering
"The construction of the canal was a massive undertaking."
2
A natural or artificial channel or duct.
/kəˈnæl/
nounneutralIntermediate
General
A narrow passage or channel
Tears flow through the tear canal.
💡 Simply: A small tube-like passage.
More Examples
2
The canal in the bone housed the nerve.
How It's Used
Anatomy
"The spinal canal protects the spinal cord."
Tip:Think of a narrow passage way for water or something else.
From Latin *canalis ('pipe, channel'), from *canna ('reed').
The word 'canal' has been used in English since the 14th century, primarily referring to artificial waterways for navigation.
Memory tip
Think 'can-all' - it can allow boats to pass through.
Word Origin
LanguageLatin
Original meaning
"pipe, channel"
Base: canal
canal boatcanal lockcanal system
Common misspellings
canelcannal
Practice
Usage
30%Spoken
70%Written