I. senses 1 & 3 kəˈnärd, ka-, -nȧd; sense 2 kȧnȧr noun
( plural canards senses 1 & 3 -dz; sense 2 -ȧr)
Etymology: French, duck, from Old French quanart drake, from caner to cackle (of imitative origin) + -art -ard; in sense 1, French, from the expression Middle French vendre des canards à moitié to cheat, deceive, literally, to half-sell ducks
1.
a. : a false or unfounded report or story ; especially : a fabricated report (as by a newspaper)
b. : a groundless rumor or belief
2. cookery : duck 1b
3. : an airplane having the horizontal stabilizing and control surfaces in front of the main supporting surfaces
II. noun
: a small airfoil in front of the wing of an aircraft that increases the aircraft's stability