# canoe

/kəˈnu/ (US) · /kənˈuː/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/canoe
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. a small boat

noun · CEFR B1

a light, narrow boat with pointed ends that you move using a paddle.

For teachers: a lightweight, narrow watercraft with pointed ends, typically open at the top and propelled by paddlers using single-bladed paddles.

- We spent the afternoon paddling a canoe across the quiet lake.
- The traditional wooden canoe glided silently through the reeds, its shallow draft allowing the paddlers to navigate the narrowest parts of the creek.

### 2. roulette wheel part

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

the small, curved metal parts on a roulette wheel that make the ball bounce.

For teachers: the curved deflectors positioned around the track of a roulette wheel, designed to disrupt the ball's path and ensure a random result.

- The ball hit a canoe and bounced into a different number.
- Experienced gamblers watch how the ball interacts with the canoes, though the deflectors are specifically designed to make the final pocket unpredictable.

### 3. large old car

noun · CEFR C2 · Slang · American English

a very large, old, and expensive car.

For teachers: a large, often older, luxury vehicle characterized by its significant length and soft suspension.

- He drives an old silver canoe that takes up two parking spaces.
- The vintage Cadillac was a total canoe, floating over the highway bumps but proving nearly impossible to parallel park in the city.

### 4. to use a canoe

verb · CEFR B1

to travel or exercise in a canoe.

For teachers: to travel by or paddle a canoe; used as an intransitive verb for the recreational activity.

- They decided to canoe down the river for their summer holiday.
- The group planned to canoe from the headwaters to the coast, camping along the riverbanks each night of the expedition.

## Examples

- We spent the afternoon paddling a canoe across the lake.
- The summer camp offers lessons on how to safely steer a canoe in moving water.
- The indigenous peoples of the region traditionally carved each canoe from a single cedar trunk, creating a vessel both durable and light enough for portage between inland waterways.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.