Added 9 October 2026
canal
/kəˈnæl/ noun
In Latin: fossa Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about canal at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- (astronomy) an indistinct surface feature of Mars once thought to be a system of channels; they are now believed to be an optical illusion.
-
A bodily passage or tube lined with epithelial cells and conveying a secretion or other substance.
the tear duct was obstructed
- Long and narrow strip of water made for boats or for irrigation.
verb
Origin
Borrowed from Middle French canal, from Old French canal, from Latin canālis (“channel, canal, narrow passage”), from canna (“reed, cane”), from Ancient Greek κάννα (kánna, “reed”), from Akkadian 𒄀 (qanû, “reed”). Doublet of channel. See also cane and -al.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)