A long, narrow boat that is usually light and open on top, moved with paddles instead of an engine.
English borrowed this word in the 16th century from Spanish and French forms like 'canoa' and 'canoë'. These came from a word in the Taíno language of the Caribbean, used for the small boats native peoples used for travel and fishing.
The word 'canoe' is one of the earliest Native American words to enter European languages. It reminds us that Europeans learned boat technology and even words from the people who were already living in the Americas.
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