canard

American  

[kuh-nahrd, ka-nar] / kəˈnɑrd, kaˈnar /

noun

plural

canards

1. a false or baseless, usually derogatory story, report, or rumor.

2. Cooking. a duck intended or used for food.

3. Aeronautics.

   1. an airplane that has its horizontal stabilizer and elevators located forward of the wing.

   2. Also called canard wing.  one of two small lifting wings located in front of the main wings.

   3. an early airplane having a pusher engine with the rudder and elevator assembly in front of the wings.

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canard British  

/ kæˈnɑːd, kanar /

noun

1. a false report; rumour or hoax

2. an aircraft in which the tailplane is mounted in front of the wing

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Etymology

Origin of canard

First recorded in 1840–45; from French: literally, “duck,” from Old French quanart “drake,” originally “cackler,” equivalent to can(er) “to cackle” (of expressive origin) + -art -art, as in mallart “drake”; mallard

Example Sentences

Bill Gates jumps off a bandwagon that existed in the first place only as a complete and utter canard.

From The Wall Street Journal

This year, let’s agree to dispel the canard that “summer reading” or “beach books” are something frivolous or less important than the serious literature celebrated in austere outlets like the London Review of Books.

From Seattle Times

La Tour d'Argent rose to fame in the 19th Century and gained notoriety for its signature duck dish, canard au sang, which translates to bloody duck and uses the bird's juices to make a sauce.

From BBC

The Mark IV has a “canard” design, with a small forewing placed to the front of the main wing, making it reminiscent of a duck stretched out in flight.

From Seattle Times

This is another quacking canard from the Simpson duck pond.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• hoax