kayak

kayak — noun

1. a small, narrow boat with a closed top and an opening for the paddler to sit in,

1.nounA2
Definition

a small, narrow boat with a closed top and an opening for the paddler to sit in, moved through water using a paddle with a blade at each end, usually used for recreation on rivers, lakes, or the sea

Example

Aoi carried her new kayak down to the dock and took it out on the lake early Saturday morning.

possessive determiner + kayak (ownership)

The rental shop by the beach has bright yellow kayaks available by the hour.

kayak as rental item, plural form

Common collocations
  • paddle a kayak
  • launch a kayak
  • rent a kayak
  • kayak trip
  • kayak instructor
Synonyms
  • canoe

    a similar light boat but with an open top, paddled with a single-bladed paddle while kneeling or sitting on a raised seat

  • dinghy

    a small open boat, usually rowed or with a small motor, not covered on top

Usage Note

In modern usage, kayaks are typically made of plastic, fiberglass, or inflatable materials and are distinct from canoes, which have an open top and a different paddling technique.

Common Mistakes

I paddled a canoe down the river' (when you were actually in a kayak).
I paddled a kayak down the river.
A canoe has an open top and is paddled with a single-bladed paddle; a kayak has a closed top and uses a double-bladed paddle.

2. a traditional boat made by stretching animal skins over a frame of driftwood or

2.nounB1
Definition

a traditional boat made by stretching animal skins over a frame of driftwood or whalebone, which the Inuit and other northern Indigenous peoples employed for hunting sea animals and traveling across icy waters

Example

The Inuk hunter pulled his sealskin kayak onto the ice after a successful morning hunt.

material (sealskin) + kayak; cultural context

A museum in Nuuk displays a traditional kayak made from driftwood and walrus hide.

traditional craftsmanship description

Common collocations
  • traditional kayak
  • sealskin kayak
  • build a kayak
  • hunt from a kayak
  • kayak frame
Synonyms
  • umiak

    a larger open boat also made of animal skin, used by Inuit women for transport, distinct from the closed-top kayak used by hunters

Usage Note

This sense refers specifically to the historical or cultural artifact. When discussing modern boats, sense 1 (RECREATIONAL BOAT) applies. The spelling 'qajaq' is closer to the original Inuktitut word.

Common Mistakes

The Inuit invented the modern plastic kayak.
The Inuit invented the traditional skin-covered kayak thousands of years ago.
Modern recreational kayaks are a much later adaptation of the original design.

kayak — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words describe small boats, but they differ in design, paddling technique, and typical use. A kayak has a closed top with a cockpit-like opening, and the paddler uses a double-bladed paddle (one blade at each end). A canoe has an open top, and the paddler uses a single-bladed paddle while kneeling or sitting on a raised seat; canoes are generally wider and can carry more cargo. A dinghy is a small open boat, often inflatable or wooden, that is rowed with oars, sailed, or powered by a small motor — it has no deck cover and is not designed for the same paddling motion. For example: 'She learned to roll her kayak in the pool' (requires a closed-top boat); 'He paddled the canoe across the quiet lake with his dog inside' (open top allows easy access).

kayak ↗canoe ↗dinghy

Common collocations

Nouns

  • kayak trip
  • kayak tour
  • kayak rental
  • kayak launch
  • kayak instructor
  • kayak club

Phrases

  • go kayaking
  • paddle a kayak
  • launch a kayak
  • rent a kayak
  • sit in a kayak

Prepositions

  • in a kayak
  • by kayak
  • from a kayak

Etymology

InuktitutDanishEnglish

The word 'kayak' comes from the Inuktitut word qajaq, which means 'man's boat' or 'hunting boat'. European explorers encountered the boat in Greenland and Alaska in the 1600s and brought the word back to Europe through Danish, which spelled it kajak. English adopted the word in the mid-1700s, and it has since spread to describe both the traditional boat and its modern recreational versions.