canal

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /kəˈnæl/
• (Canada) IPA^(key): /kəˈnɛl/
• Rhymes: -æl

Noun

canal (plural canals)

1. An artificial waterway or artificially improved river used for travel, shipping, or irrigation.
2. (anatomy) A tubular channel within the body.
3. (astronomy) One of the faint, hazy markings resembling straight lines on early telescopic images of the surface of Mars.

Verb

canal (third-person singular simple present canals, present participle canaling or canalling, simple past and past participle canaled or canalled)

1. To dig an artificial waterway in or to (a place), especially for drainage
   • 1968, Louisiana State University, Proceedings‎, page 165:

     In the mangrove-type salt marsh, the entire marsh must be canaled or impounded.

2. To travel along a canal by boat
   • 1905, William Yoast Morgan, A Journey of a Jayhawker, page 211:

     Near Rotterdam we canalled by Delfthaven.

Anagrams

• Alcan, Clana, Nalca

Etymology

From Latin canālis.

Noun

canal f (plural canales)

1. canal (artificial waterway)

Etymology

From Old Occitan [Term?], from Latin canālis (“channel; canal”).

Noun

canal m (plural canals)

1. canal; channel (artificial passage for water)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin canālis. Doublet of chenal.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ka.nal/

• audio (un canal)

  (file)

Noun

canal m (plural canaux)

1. canal
2. channel (broadcasting: specific radio frequency or band of frequencies)

See also

• chaîne

Further reading

• “canal” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• lança

Etymology

From Old French canal, from Latin canālis (“channel; canal”).

Noun

canal m (plural canaux)

1. (Jersey) canal

Etymology

From Old Portuguese canal, from Latin canālis (“canal”), from canna (“reed, cane”), from Ancient Greek κάννα (kánna, “reed”), from Akkadian 𒄀 (qanû, “reed”), from Sumerian 𒄀𒈾 (gi.na). This form may possibly be an early borrowing or semi-learned term; cf. the fully inherited doublet cale, and related calha.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ka.ˈnaw/
• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kɐ.ˈnaɫ/

Noun

canal m (plural canais)

1. ditch
2. canal (artificial waterway)
3. (radio) channel (broadcasting: specific radio frequency or band of frequencies)
4. (television) television channel

Etymology

Borrowed from French canal, Latin canālis.

Noun

canal n (plural canale)

1. (plural canaluri) canal
2. channel

Etymology

From Old Spanish canal, from Latin canālis (“channel; canal”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaˈnal/
• Rhymes: -al

Noun

canal m (plural canales)

1. canal (waterway)
2. channel (of television)
3. (communication) channel
4. (chemistry) channel
5. cleavage

Etymology

From Latin canālis.

Noun

canal m (plural canałi)

1. canal
2. channel (all senses)