Meaning & use
the Panama Canal
Last updated
Meaning
proper nounproper
A man-made waterway across Panama that lets ships travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Grammar: Used with the definite article 'the' and a capital C in 'Canal'.
Patterns
- the Panama Canal connects something
- go through the Panama Canal
- the Panama Canal is in something
The Panama Canal saves ships a long trip around South America.
Many cargo ships pass through the Panama Canal every day.
The Panama Canal was built in the early 20th century.
Common combinations
- the Panama Canal Zone
- The Panama Canal Zone was a strip of land along the canal once controlled by the United States.
- the Panama Canal expansion
- The Panama Canal expansion allowed bigger ships to use the waterway.
- the Panama Canal locks
- The Panama Canal locks raise and lower ships as they cross the land.
- transit the Panama Canal
- It takes about eight to ten hours to transit the Panama Canal.
- the Panama Canal Authority
- The Panama Canal Authority manages the daily operations of the canal.
Commonly confused: the Panama Canal or Suez Canal?
the Panama Canal vs Suez Canal
The Suez Canal is in Egypt and links the Mediterranean and Red Seas; the Panama Canal is in Central America and links the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Practice
Which sentence uses the name correctly?
Choose one answer.
The Panama Canal is a man-made waterway in Panama that links the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Option An is wrong because the canal is not a natural river. Option C is wrong because the canal is not in the Pacific Ocean; it crosses Panama. Option D is wrong because it does not connect the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “the Panama Canal”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.