Word Confusion: Canal vs Impoundment vs Moat vs Reservoir

Posted October 17, 2023 by Kathy Davie in Author Resources, Self-Editing, Word Confusions, Writing

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This post explores man-made containments of water: canal vs impoundment vs moat vs reservoir.

A canal is an artificial waterway for navigation and irrigation. It can also be a channel for disease, food, and dental operations . . . eek!

An impoundment is an artificial enclosure of water. Think reservoir.

A moat is a trench used to protect something. The most common type is one that surrounds a castle or town.

A reservoir is a type of impoundment that dams up rivers, creating artificial lakes.

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Exploring Later . . .

You may want to explore “Anchorage, Haven, Moorage, and Roadstead“, “Bay vs Bight vs Cove“, “Bayou vs Bog vs Marsh vs Swamp“, “Born vs Borne vs Bourn“, “Brook vs Burn vs Draw vs Lick“, “Cay vs Key vs Quay“, “Creak versus Creek“, “Dam versus Damn“, “Dock vs Pier vs Wharf“, “Firth vs Fjord vs Gulf“, “Harbor vs Marina vs Port vs Quay“, “Lakes: Kettle, Loch, Mere, and Oxbow“, “Peer versus Pier“, “River vs Stream vs Tributary“, “Sea versus See“, “Slew versus Slough“, and “Straight versus Strait“.

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Word Confusions . . .

. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.

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Canal	Impoundment	Moat	Reservoir
Amsterdam Canal by Fabian Dany is under the CC BY-SA 2.5 license, via Wikimedia Commons.	Bradford Dam, Up River, Impounded Water courtesy of the US Fish and Wildlife Service is under the Public Domain Mark 1.0 license, via Flickr. — An impoundment encloses water.	Bodiam Castle is Antony McCallum’s own work under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. — A genuine castle with a moat.	The Missouri River Mainstem Reservoir System Enters Season Well-prepared is under the Public Domain Mark 1.0 license, via Picryl and courtesy of the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service.
Part of Grammar:
Noun; Verb, transitive Plural for the noun: canals Gerund: canalling Third person present verb: canals Past tense or past participle: canaled, canalled Present participle: canaling, canalling	Noun Plural: impoundments	Noun; Verb, transitive Plural for the noun: moats Gerund: moating Third person present verb: moats Past tense or past participle: moated Present participle: moating	Noun Plural: reservoirs
Noun: An artificial waterway constructed to allow the passage of boats or ships inland or to convey water for irrigation A tubular duct in a plant or animal, serving to convey or contain food, liquid, or air [Astronomy] Any of a number of linear markings formerly reported as seen by telescope on the planet Mars Channel Watercourse Verb, transitive: To dig an artificial waterway through To provide with an artificial waterway or waterways	Noun: A body of water, such as a reservoir, made by enclosing it A confined body of water, as a reservoir	Noun: A deep, wide ditch surrounding a castle, fort, or town, typically filled with water and intended as a defense against attack Any similar trench, as one used for confining animals in a zoo Verb, transitive: Surround (a place) with a moat	Noun: A large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply A supply or source of something [Usually with modifier] A place where fluid collects, especially in rock strata or in the body A receptacle or part of a machine designed to hold fluid [Medicine] A population, tissue, etc., that is chronically infested with the causative agent of a disease and can act as a source of further infection [cistern] A service reservoir that holds clean water
Examples:
Noun: The Panama Canal was an amazing engineering feat. A blockage of the canal could severely affect international shipping. Do not poke Q-tips into the ear canal. Dang, the dentist says I need a root canal. The canals discovered on Mars are now thought to be eye or lens defects on the telescope. The holes in a sponge are called canals. Verb, transitive: The plan is to canal an isthmus. They’re canalling the park for a water ride. The only way through is by canalling between the mountains.	Noun: “One active site, a site downstream of the active impoundment and two recently abandoned beaver dam sites were chosen as study sites” (Voelker). “Regardless of your government’s level of involvement, you should be aware that the maintenance and operation of your impoundment should be an integral part of your organization’s risk management program” (Lukanina). There will be a constant flow of water through the impoundment with complete water change every 1.4 days in normal conditions. “The process of sediment transported in suspension by a river settling out once the water enters an impoundment, reservoir, or barrier” (Duda).	Noun: By the 19th century, it was no longer necessary, so locals tore down most of it, filled in the moat, and planted trees. “Moats and fencing were used to prevent prisoners from leaving and any unwanted outsiders from approaching the camp” (Dachau). I loved exploring Bodiam Castle, crossing its moat and imagining how the rooms were used. Zoos like to use different types of moats to separate their visitors from the animals. Verb, transitive: I hear Curran is planning to moat the fort. He moated his company by becoming the dominant player. She moats her feelings by surrounding herself with computers.	Noun: Torrents of water gushed into the reservoir. We discovered a large, underground reservoir. It was like tapping into a universal reservoir of information. He depleted the body’s short-term reservoir of energy. It was on his desk next to the ink reservoir. “Stopcocks, of which one has an orifice twice the size of the other, communicate between these receptacles and a fourth one, which is called the mixture reservoir, since in it the two gases obtained by the decomposition of the water do really commingle” (Verne). “Existence of a reservoir is confirmed when infection within the target population cannot be sustained after all transmission between target and nontarget populations has been eliminated” (Haydon). When living in an area where water is a precious commodity you’d better plan on building your own reservoir.
Derivatives:
Adjective: canalicular Noun: canalboat, canaliculus, canalisation [British], canalization Verb: canalise [British], canalize,	Adjective: impoundable Noun: impounder Verb: impound	Adjective: moated
History of the Word:
Late Middle English from the Old French, alteration of chanel meaning channel, from the Latin canalis meaning pipe, groove, channel, from canna meaning cane.	First recorded in 1655–65; impound + -ment.	Late Middle English from the Old French mote meaning mound.	Mid-17th century from the French réservoir, from réserver meaning to reserve, keep.

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.

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Resources for Canal vs Impoundment vs Moat vs Reservoir

Some of these links may be affiliate links, and I will earn a small percentage, if you should buy it. It does not affect the price you pay.

Apple Dictionary.com

Cambridge Dictionary: impoundment, moat

“Dachau Remembered – 80 Years Later.” CBS News. 22 Mar 2013. Accessed 9 Oct 2023. <https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/dachau-remembered-80-years-later/>.

Dictionary.com: impoundment

Duda, Jeffrey J. and J. Ryan Bellmore. “Reservoir Impoundment.” Science Direct. n.d. Accessed 9 Oct 2023. Encyclopedia of Inland Waters, 2022. ed 2. <https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/reservoir-impoundment>.

The Free Dictionary: canal

Glatz, Kyle. “The Complete List of Water Types.” Bodies of Water. Places. AZ Animals. Last updated 2 Nov 2022. Web. 5 June 2023. <https://a-z-animals.com/blog/bodies-of-water-the-complete-list-of-water-types/>.

Haydon, Daniel T. “Identifying Reservoirs of Infection: A Conceptual and Practical Challenge.” Emerging Infectious Diseases 1468–1473. PubMed Central. vol 8, no 12. National Library of Medicine. doi: 10.3201/eid0812.010317. Dec 2002. Accessed 9 Oct 2023. <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2738515/>.

Lukanina, Marina. “‘They All Went Down to Am-ster—!’ Building Principles.” Camping Magazine. 1 July 2008. Accessed 9 Oct 2023.

Verne, Jules. Five Weeks in a Balloon. Originally published 1863. Namaskar Book, 2023. <https://amzn.to/46oEUkO>. Ebook.

Voelker, Bryan W. and James L Dooley, Jr. “Impact by North American Beaver (Castor canadensis) on Forest Plant Composition in the Wilds, a Surface-mined Landscape in Southeastern Ohio.” The Ohio Journal of Science vol 108, no 2. 1 Apr 2008. Accessed 9 Oct 2023. <https://kb.osu.edu/handle/1811/48377>.

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