Canard
[kə-nard]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: French, mid 19th century
1.
An unfounded rumor or story.
2.
A small winglike projection attached to an aircraft forward of the main wing to provide extra stability or control, sometimes replacing the tail.
Examples of Canard in a sentence
"Contrary to the rapidly spreading canard, the actor would not be making a special appearance after the show."
"Joseph added a canard to his design, hoping it would stabilize the airplane prototype."
About Canard
In French, “canard” means both “duck” and “hoax.” It originated from the Old French word “caner” (to quack).
Did you Know?
Anyone can spread a small canard, but it takes a truly dedicated person to pull off a full-fledged hoax. Throughout history, many hoaxes have taken in a gullible public — just a few include the Cardiff Giant (a 10-foot-tall man discovered to be a sculpture), the Turk (a chess-playing automaton controlled by an actual player), and Clever Hans (a horse who was advertised to perform simple calculations, but actually relied on hints from his trainer).
