canal Hear it!

canal Definition

ca·nal (kə nal′)

noun

  1. an artificial waterway for transportation or irrigation
  2. a river artificially improved by locks, levees, etc. to permit navigation
  3. any of the long, narrow lines, visible from earth, on the planet Mars: once thought by some to be canals but now known to be optical illusions
  4. Anat. any of various tubular passages or ducts

Etymology: ME, pipe or tube < OFr < L canalis, pipe, groove, channel < canna, reed: see cane

transitive verb -·nalled′ or -·naled′, -·nal′·ling or -·nal′·ing

to build a canal through or across

canal Synonyms

canal

n.

waterway, trench, ditch; see channel 1, water 2.

canal Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • restore: The restored canal would bring increased tourism throughout its length rather than in its present concentrations.
  • overlook: The back yard wall overlooked the canal and over the canal was Nazareth House Convent.

Adjective modifier

  • alimentary: Trikatu formula increases the digestive fire, which then burns away these accumulated toxins and cleanses the alimentary canal.
  • semicircular: In your ear there are the semicircular canals which are linked to muscular co-ordination.
  • inguinal: One month later he returned with this large indurated abscess, thought to be in the inguinal canal.
  • spinal: Sometimes the annulus of the disk is completely torn and nuclear material escapes into the spinal canal.
  • anal: There are actually four types of tissue in the anal canal, which can give rise to different cancers.
  • Lowland: Among other things they are very keen to promote angling among young people in the communities along the Lowland canals.

Modifies a noun

  • towpath: The route to the site was along the canal towpath.
  • basin: In addition, he moved the foundry to a new site near the Exeter canal basin at Water Lane.
  • restoration: Having spearheaded canal restoration for half a century the IWA are now having to work hard to keep up with the pace.
  • boat: I think a canal boat holiday would be cool!
  • barge: It's possible it will be transported, in pieces, by canal barge!
  • bridge: He came within half a mile of taking a canal bridge on the road to Nijmegen.

Noun used with modifier

  • tub-boat: An advocate of wheeled boats and inclined planes on tub-boat canals.
  • ear: The inner ear canal should not be too heavily coated.
  • panama: Has dedicated a however the ultra I need a cruise the panama canal.
  • furlong: Description: A 14 mile 5 furlong canal that ran from the Erewash Canal at Langley Mill to Cromford with a branch to Pixton.
  • root: Millions of root canals are performed each year in the United States.
  • barge: Kennet and Avon Canal Samuel Simcock He, Samuel Weston and James Barnes made surveys for narrow and barge canals from Newbury to Bath.