kayak

American  

[kahy-ak] / ˈkaɪ æk /

Also kaiak,

noun

• kayaks
  plural

1. a traditional Inuit or Yupik canoe with a skin cover on a light framework, made watertight by flexible closure around the waist of the occupant and propelled with a double-bladed paddle.

2. a small boat resembling this, made commercially of a variety of materials and used in sports.

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verb (used without object)

1. to go or travel by kayak.

verb (used with object)

1. to travel on by kayak.

   to kayak the Colorado River.

kayak British  

/ ˈkaɪæk /

noun

1. a small light canoe-like boat used by the Inuit, consisting of a light frame covered with watertight animal skins

2. a fibreglass or canvas-covered canoe of similar design

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• kayaker
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• kayaks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of kayak

First recorded in 1750–60, kayak is from the Inuit word qayaq

Explanation

A kayak is a narrow one- or two-person boat that is propelled with a double-ended paddle. You can use a kayak in the ocean, on a pond or lake, or in a river. When you get in a kayak and start paddling around, you kayak (the verb). People who visit the beach often rent sea kayaks and kayak around the shore and between small islands. An even more adventurous way to kayak is in a whitewater kayak on a fast-moving river. Kayaks were first built and used by Inuits, Aleuts, and Yup'iks, and the word comes from the Inuit qayaq, "small boat of skins."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

kayak kayaks

Then we paddled around the estuary on a pre-breakfast kayak tour.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

If it’s not on the water—if it’s not a kayak or sail or something like that—then horses are big for me.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026

Jayme, who loves to kayak and be outdoors, said she spent years feeling her Type 1 diabetes was slowly killing her.

From BBC ● May 10, 2026

German media have broadcast the hapless creature lying motionless in shallow water for hours on end, with men in diving suits splashing water on it using kayak paddles.

From Barron's ● Apr. 23, 2026

Polar Eskimos lost the bow and arrow and the kayak, while Dorset Eskimos lost the bow and arrow, bow drill, and dogs.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

On stretches of waterfront, people linger in boats, kayaks and pool floats.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

The Float and Fish excursion sends guests in kayaks along a clear and fast-moving section of the river, casting in pockets and eddies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026

His large band, squeezed onto a stage scarcely longer than two kayaks laid end to end, is composed almost entirely of Haitian preachers’ kids raised in the country’s gospel tradition.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 25, 2026

According to the listing, the three-bedroom cottage features nearly 400 feet of private waterways, outdoor activities like kayaks and canoes and an exercise room.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 24, 2026

They took four dog sleds and nine kayaks.

From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell

Related Words

• outrigger