canard

UK: English: /kæˈnɑːd/, French: /kanar/

US: /kəˈnɑrd, -ˈnɑr/

US: (kə närd′; Fr. ka nar′)

Inflections of 'canard' (n): npl: canards

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ca•nard /kəˈnɑrd, -ˈnɑr/   n. [countable]

1. a false, usually harmful or misleading report.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ca•nard  (kə närd′; Fr. ka nar′), n., pl. -nards 

(-närdz′; Fr. -nar′). 
1. a false or baseless, usually derogatory story, report, or rumor.
2. Food [Cookery.] a duck intended or used for food.
3. Aeronautics
   • an airplane that has its horizontal stabilizer and elevators located forward of the wing.
   • Also called canard′ wing′. one of two small lifting wings located in front of the main wings.
   • an early airplane having a pusher engine with the rudder and elevator assembly in front of the wings.

• French: literally, duck; Old French quanart drake, origin, originally cackler, equivalent. to can(er) to cackle (of expressive origin, originally) + -art -art, as in mallart drake; see mallard
• 1840–50

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

canard / kæˈnɑːd kanar/ noun

1. a false report; rumour or hoax
2. an aircraft in which the tailplane is mounted in front of the wing

Etymology: 19th Century: from French: a duck, hoax, from Old French caner to quack, of imitative origin