canal
/kəˈnæl/ (bre, ipa) · [kənˈæl] /kəˈnæl/ (ame, ipa) · [kənˈæl] /kə-ˈnal/ (ame, mw)
canal — noun
- canalsingular
- canalsplural
1. a long narrow waterway that people dig and fill with water, used by boats to tra
a long narrow waterway that people dig and fill with water, used by boats to travel between seas, rivers, or lakes, or to carry water to farms and towns for irrigation
The Watanabe family hired a narrowboat and spent a week cruising along the Oxford Canal.
collocation: along + the + [name] + Canal
Engineers designed an irrigation canal to carry water from the river to the rice paddies.
attributive noun: irrigation canal
The Suez Canal connects the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, saving ships a long trip around Africa.
Zuri's grandfather worked as a lock-keeper on the Kennet and Avon Canal for thirty years.
After the flood, workers cleared mud from the main canal to restart boat traffic.
文法句型
the + canal
canal + noun (canal boat, canal system)
用法筆記
When referring to a specific named waterway, capitalise the word Canal (e.g. the Panama Canal, the Grand Canal).
常見錯誤
2. a thin passage inside a living body through which air, food, liquid, or other su
a thin passage inside a living body through which air, food, liquid, or other substances travel from one part to another
The dentist checked Faisal's ear canal for signs of infection during his check-up.
compound: ear canal
Food moves from the mouth to the stomach through the alimentary canal.
compound: alimentary canal
The birth canal is the passage that a baby travels through during childbirth.
Apinya felt a sharp pain in her ear canal after swimming in the cold lake.
The spinal canal runs through the backbone and protects the nerves inside.
文法句型
the + [adjective] + canal
[body part] + canal
用法筆記
In anatomy, canal is a formal term; everyday speech more often uses passage or tube (e.g. ear passage instead of ear canal).
常見錯誤
canal — verb
- canalpresent simple I / you / we / they
- canals3rd person singular
- canaling-ing form
- canaledpast simple
1. to dig a canal through a piece of land, creating a water route for ships to trav
to dig a canal through a piece of land, creating a water route for ships to travel along or for carrying water to dry areas
The area around the port was canalled in the 1820s to let cargo boats reach the warehouses.
passive: area + was canalled in [period] to [purpose]
The coastal lowlands were canalled after the storm to carry floodwater safely into the lake.
passive: [land] + was canalled + purpose clause
The old meadow was canalled in spring to drain the water and prepare the ground for planting.
The marsh was canalled in the 1770s so that timber could be floated down to the sawmill.
The land between the two rivers was canalled to create a shortcut for trading boats.
- canalise / canalize
more common than canal as a verb; also means to direct something into a fixed course
- channel
broader meaning: to direct flow through a channel, not necessarily by digging
文法句型
canal + noun phrase (land / territory / area)
be canalled (passive)
用法筆記
This use is rare in everyday conversation. Writers and historians are more likely to use the related verb canalise (UK) / canalize (US) or the phrase 'dig a canal'.