canyon

¹

Or ca·ñon

[kan-yuhn]

noun

1. a deep valley with steep sides, often with a stream flowing through it.

   Synonyms: coulee, arroyo, gap, pass, ravine, gully, gorge

Canyon

²

[kan-yuhn]

noun

1. a town in N Texas.

canyon

/ ˈkænjən /

noun

1. a gorge or ravine, esp in North America, usually formed by the down-cutting of a river in a dry area where there is insufficient rainfall to erode the sides of the valley

canyon

1. A long, deep, narrow valley with steep cliff walls, cut into the Earth by running water and often having a stream at the bottom.

Word History and Origins

Origin of canyon¹

An Americanism first recorded in 1835–45; from Colonial Spanish (Mexico, southwestern U.S.), Spanish cañón “a long tube, a hollow,” equivalent to cañ(a) “tube” (from Latin canna cane ) + -on augmentative suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of canyon¹

C19: from Spanish cañón, from caña tube, from Latin canna cane

Example Sentences

Within two days, 40-plus miles and some 5,000 feet of elevation, I was gobsmacked by the vistas, the morning light on the canyons and the solitude on the campground — aside from the abundant wildlife.

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Then, in August 2020, lightning sparked a series of fires in the area, including one that began burning in a river canyon on U.S.

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In a canyon overlooking Paradise Cove, melted steel beams protrude from a concrete foundation that survived Woolsey.

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The bluffs, canyons and mountainous terrain that comprise the interior of the base has been fertile training ground for those sent to conflicts in the Middle East and beyond.

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The constant storms and seismic activity that forged its dramatic cliffs and canyons also make its infrastructure a nightmare to maintain.

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Related Words

• gorge 
• gully 
• ravine 
• valley