a gorge or ravine, esp in North America, usually formed by the down-cutting of a river in a dry area where there is insufficient rainfall to erode the sides of the valley
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
can•yon /ˈkænyən/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025- Geology, Geography, Place Namesa deep valley with steep sides.
can•yon
(kan′yən),USA pronunciation n.
Can•yon (kan′yən),USA pronunciation n.
- Geology, Geography, Place Namesa deep valley with steep sides, often with a stream flowing through it.
- Latin canna cane) + -on augmentative suffix
- American Spanish, Spanish cañón a long tube, a hollow, equivalent. to cañ(a) tube (
- 1835–45, American.
- gorge, gully, ravine, pass, gap, arroyo, coulee.
Can•yon (kan′yən),USA pronunciation n.
- Place Namesa town in N Texas. 10,724.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'canyon' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Arizona
- Baltimore Canyon
- Black Canyon
- Boulder Canyon
- Bryce Canyon National Park
- Colorado Plateau
- Grand Canyon
- Grand Canyon National Park
- Grand Canyon State
- Grand Coulee
- Kings Canyon National Park
- Little Colorado
- Matilija poppy
- Valles Marineris
- Yellowstone National Park
- abutment
- box canyon
- canon
- canyon wind
- canyoning
- cañada
- cañon
- colorado
- crop
- dalles
- etch
- feast
- flyover
- gee whiz
- gorge
- gulf
- kaibab squirrel
- lip
- wonder