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

He's already been out in his kayak to catch fish, he's been foraging for mushrooms and berries, and he's enjoyed vegetables from his neighbour's croft.

From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

He improvised repairs using PVC pipes and kayak paddles to get his boat back on course.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026

When the weather cooperates, take to the sea by paddleboard or kayak, easy to rent from Sea Nantucket.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026

Did Digger have something to do with sinking the kayak?

From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings

Called the Middle Ale after the store’s center aisle, where shoppers can pick up improbable bargains like inflatable kayaks or bench grinders, it quickly caught the attention of locals like Mark Rowan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

In warmer weather, you can rent kayaks, wave runners and paddleboards or take a seasonal cruise aboard the Lake Lawn Queen; winter brings cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating, ice fishing and sledding.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

If you want to imagine time standing still, start at Burke’s Canoe Trips, which has been renting canoes and kayaks for decades.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

"An elderly person living permanently in a village has a perfect right to be there but is not hiring paddleboards and kayaks, or going to restaurants," he says.

From BBC ● Feb. 25, 2026

People in skinny red kayaks row past, and I wave to them.

From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio

Related Words

• outrigger