An artificial waterway constructed for navigation, irrigation, or water supply. It can also refer to a tubular passage in the body.
From Latin canalis meaning 'pipe, groove, channel', derived from canna meaning 'reed'. The word entered English via Old French in the 15th century, initially referring to any channel or conduit.
The Panama Canal required the excavation of over 200 million cubic yards of earth, equivalent to digging a tunnel from New York to San Francisco. Ancient canal systems like those in Venice were engineering marvels that transformed entire civilizations.
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