noun

1. a false, esp. malicious, report that has been fabricated with the intention of doing harm
2. 1. an airplane whose horizontal stabilizer is located forward of the wing or wings
   2. the horizontal control and stabilizing surfaces in such an aircraft

Etymology: Fr, a duck, hoax; prob. < can, echoic for duck's quack + -ard, -ard; short for (vendre) un canard (à moitié), lit., (to half-sell) a duck, i.e., to cheat