canoe

Etymology

Adopted in 16th century from Spanish canoa, from Taino *kanowa (“dugout canoe”) (compare Arawak kanoa (“canoe”), Wayuu anuwa, anua (“boat, canoe”)), from Proto-Arawakan *kanawa.

Pronunciation

• enPR: kə-no͞o', IPA^(key): /kəˈnuː/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uː

Noun

canoe (plural canoes)

1. A small long and narrow boat, propelled by one or more people (depending on the size of canoe), using single-bladed paddles. The paddlers face in the direction of travel, in either a seated position, or kneeling on the bottom of the boat. Canoes are open on top, and pointed at both ends.
   • 1907, Robert William Chambers, chapter IX, in The Younger Set (Project Gutenberg; EBook #14852), New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, published 1 February 2005 (Project Gutenberg version), OCLC 24962326:

     He and Gerald usually challenged the rollers in a sponson canoe when Gerald was there for the weekend; or, when Lansing came down, the two took long swims seaward or cruised about in Gerald's dory, clad in their swimming-suits; and Selwyn's youth became renewed in a manner almost ridiculous, […].

2. (slang) An oversize, usually older, luxury car.

Verb

canoe (third-person singular simple present canoes, present participle canoeing, simple past and past participle canoed)

1. To ride or paddle a canoe.

Derived terms

• canoeist
• paddle one's own canoe

See also

• kayak

Further reading

canoe on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Ocean, ocean

Noun

canoe f

1. plural of canoa