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

If you’re looking to get active on the water, the Yacht Club of Saint-Tropez offers kayak, windsurf and paddleboard rentals, from around $23 per hour.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

Bury got into a kayak but there were no oars nearby to help him paddle, he told the station.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 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

Instead, Bongo and her other cat Fifi are trained to paddleboard, kayak and walk with her.

From BBC ● Apr. 5, 2026

I appreciated everything he said, but he didn’t know how bad I felt about not calling out a warning when I’d seen the kayak that morning, before school.

From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings

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

It interacted with several of the kayaks and even popped its head up to have a look at them for about 20 minutes.

From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2025

In the river below, young tourists laugh and splash each other from their kayaks.

From BBC ● Nov. 24, 2024

We pull the kayaks onto the rocks and climb to where it’s dry and cool.

From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart

Related Words

• outrigger