canal

The word “canal” means a man-made waterway built for boats, irrigation, or drainage. In plain terms, an artificial waterway, or by extension, a narrow channel-like passage in the body.

“Canal” is pronounced kuh-NAL (/kəˈnæl/ in IPA).

Here is “canal” used in a sentence: “Barges once carried coal along the canal.”

“Canal” is a noun.

The word “canal” comes from Latin. From Old French canal, from Latin canalis, "channel", ultimately from a word for "reed" — a doublet of "channel".

“Canal” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Canal” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a man-made waterway built for boats, irrigation, or drainage.

A river is a natural watercourse that forms and flows on its own, while a canal is a man-made waterway built for boats, irrigation, or drainage. Canals follow engineered routes and often use locks to manage water levels.

A canal is always artificial, dug for transport, irrigation, or drainage, whereas a "channel" can be a natural deep part of a waterway or a broad strait between land masses. All canals are channels in the broad sense, but not all channels are canals.

Common phrases include "shipping canal," "irrigation canal," and "drainage canal" for waterways, plus "root canal," "ear canal," and "birth canal" for anatomical passages. The word pairs naturally with terms describing its purpose or location.