Canyon
noun /ˈkænjən/ — A deep valley carved by a river — the landscape's most dramatic scar.
Definition
A deep gorge, typically one with a river flowing through it, formed by the erosion of rock over geological timescales.
Beyond the definition
A canyon's power is in the revelation — you're walking on flat ground and then the earth opens. The scale is always larger than expected, as if the planet is reminding you of the limits of your frame of reference.
Origin & history
From Spanish cañón — tube, pipe, gorge (from caño: tube, from Latin canna: reed, tube). The river as a tube cutting through rock — seen from above, the canyon is the negative space left by water.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
Standing at the canyon rim, all of her ideas about distance required recalibration.
The city's canyons of glass and steel created their own wind, their own weather.
A canyon is the earth's autobiography — every layer a chapter, every colour a period.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Canyon” when the meaning fits your context: A deep gorge, typically one with a river flowing through it, formed by the erosion of rock over geological timescales.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Dwarfed by massive canyon walls
An adult stands on a rocky ledge, dwarfed by the vertical walls of a deep canyon and a crashing waterfall.
The sheer scale of the vertical canyon walls, eroded over time, exemplifies a deep gorge with a river, illustrating the power of geological transformation.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Canyon" mean?
Canyon is noun meaning: A deep valley carved by a river — the landscape's most dramatic scar.. A deep gorge, typically one with a river flowing through it, formed by the erosion of rock over geological timescales.
Where does the word "Canyon" come from?
From Spanish cañón — tube, pipe, gorge (from caño: tube, from Latin canna: reed, tube). The river as a tube cutting through rock — seen from above, the canyon is the negative space left by water.