What does "canal" mean?

1. (artificial waterway) a man-made river built for boats to travel on or to carry water to farms. 2. (anatomy or botany) a tube-like passage in the body of a person, animal, or plant. 3. (astronomy) lines once thought to be seen on the surface of the planet Mars. 4. (to build a waterway) to dig or build a canal in a specific area.

How do you use "canal"?

Often used with 'the' when referring to a specific famous waterway like the Suez Canal. Commonly appears in compound terms like 'ear canal' or 'root canal'. This verb is transitive and requires a direct object.

canal

n. · v.

US //kəˈnæɫ// UK //kənˈæl// canal

1 artificial waterway (n.)
B1 Intermediate

a man-made river built for boats to travel on or to carry water to farms.

an artificial waterway constructed for navigation, drainage, or irrigation purposes.

Example

The narrow boat moved slowly along the canal through the countryside.

Example

The expansion of the shipping canal allowed much larger container vessels to bypass the lengthy journey around the southern tip of the continent.

Usage

Often used with 'the' when referring to a specific famous waterway like the Suez Canal.
2 anatomy or botany (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Medicine

a tube-like passage in the body of a person, animal, or plant.

a tubular passage or duct within an organism that conveys substances or houses specific organs.

Example

The doctor checked his ear canal to see if there was an infection.

Example

The surgeon carefully cleared the blockage in the bile canal to restore normal digestive function for the patient.

Usage

Commonly appears in compound terms like 'ear canal' or 'root canal'.

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3 astronomy (n.)
C2 Proficiency Archaic Science

lines once thought to be seen on the surface of the planet Mars.

linear markings on the surface of Mars that early astronomers incorrectly believed were artificial waterways.

Example

Old books sometimes show drawings of canals on Mars made by early astronomers.

Example

Nineteenth-century observations of Martian canals sparked intense public speculation regarding the existence of an advanced extraterrestrial civilisation.

Teacher's tip

This sense is historical; modern science has proven these were optical illusions rather than actual structures.
- markings
- channels
4 to build a waterway (v.)
C1 Advanced Formal Technical

to dig or build a canal in a specific area.

to construct an artificial waterway through a region, typically for drainage or transport.

Example

The government decided to canal the marshland to prevent flooding.

Example

Engineers proposed a plan to canal the valley, effectively diverting the seasonal runoff into the reservoir system.

Usage

This verb is transitive and requires a direct object.
- channel
- excavate

Origin

Borrowed from Middle French canal, from Old French canal, from Latin canālis (“channel; canal”), from canālis (“canal”), from canna (“reed, cane”), from Ancient Greek κάννα (kánna, “reed”), from Akkadian 𒄀 (qanû, “reed”), from Sumerian 𒄀𒈾 (gi.na). Doublet of channel.