kayak

kayak — noun

1. a small, narrow boat with a closed top and an opening for the paddler to sit in,

1.名詞A2
釋義

a small, narrow boat with a closed top and an opening for the paddler to sit in, moved through water using a paddle with a blade at each end, usually used for recreation on rivers, lakes, or the sea

例句

Aoi carried her new kayak down to the dock and took it out on the lake early Saturday morning.

possessive determiner + kayak (ownership)

The rental shop by the beach has bright yellow kayaks available by the hour.

kayak as rental item, plural form

同義詞
  • canoe

    a similar light boat but with an open top, paddled with a single-bladed paddle while kneeling or sitting on a raised seat

  • dinghy

    a small open boat, usually rowed or with a small motor, not covered on top

用法筆記

In modern usage, kayaks are typically made of plastic, fiberglass, or inflatable materials and are distinct from canoes, which have an open top and a different paddling technique.

常見錯誤

❌I paddled a canoe down the river' (when you were actually in a kayak).
✅I paddled a kayak down the river.
💡A canoe has an open top and is paddled with a single-bladed paddle; a kayak has a closed top and uses a double-bladed paddle.

2. a traditional boat made by stretching animal skins over a frame of driftwood or

2.名詞B1
釋義

a traditional boat made by stretching animal skins over a frame of driftwood or whalebone, which the Inuit and other northern Indigenous peoples employed for hunting sea animals and traveling across icy waters

例句

The Inuk hunter pulled his sealskin kayak onto the ice after a successful morning hunt.

material (sealskin) + kayak; cultural context

A museum in Nuuk displays a traditional kayak made from driftwood and walrus hide.

traditional craftsmanship description

同義詞
  • umiak

    a larger open boat also made of animal skin, used by Inuit women for transport, distinct from the closed-top kayak used by hunters

用法筆記

This sense refers specifically to the historical or cultural artifact. When discussing modern boats, sense 1 (RECREATIONAL BOAT) applies. The spelling 'qajaq' is closer to the original Inuktitut word.

常見錯誤

❌The Inuit invented the modern plastic kayak.
✅The Inuit invented the traditional skin-covered kayak thousands of years ago.
💡Modern recreational kayaks are a much later adaptation of the original design.

kayak — verb