kayak

[ kahy-ak ]
See synonyms for kayak on Thesaurus.com
noun
  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.

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.

Origin of kayak

1
First recorded in 1750–60, kayak is from the Inuit word qayaq
  • Also kai·ak, ky·ack, ky·ak .

Other words from kayak

  • kay·ak·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for kayak

kayak

kaiak

/ (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

Origin of kayak

1
C18: from Inuktitut (Greenland dialect)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012