Lost stories aside, the expression led to the use of canard, the French word for "duck," to refer to a hoax or fabrication. English speakers adopted this canard in the mid-1800s.

The report that she was injured in the fire by which her stable was burned, proves to be a canard. The story of an armed band surrounding the bank had been a canard.

CANARD definition: a false or baseless, usually derogatory story, report, or rumor. See examples of canard used in a sentence.

Dec 22, 2025 · Borrowed from French canard (“duck, hoax”). The primary English meaning of canard comes from the Medieval French expression “vendre un canard à moitié”, which literally means “to …

A canard is an idea or a piece of information that is false, especially one that is spread deliberately in order to harm someone or their work. The charge that Harding was a political stooge may be a …

Definition of canard noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

To fly or float about, or circulate as a canard or false report: as, certain stories canarding about the hotels. To imitate or produce the peculiar harsh cry of the duck, as an unskilled player on a wind …

Factsheet What does the noun canard mean? There are four meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun canard. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

Jul 12, 2021 · Overall, the word canard means an improbable account, false note or absurd report, usually published without permission and for the purpose of spreading lies to create a sensational …

Canard definition: An unfounded or false, deliberately misleading story.