/keuh nahrd"/ ; Fr. /kann nannrdd"/ , n. , pl. canards /-nahrdz"/ ; Fr. /-nannrdd"/ .
1. a false or baseless, usually derogatory story, report, or rumor.
2. Cookery. a duck intended or used for food.
3. Aeron.
a. an airplane that has its horizontal stabilizer and elevators located forward of the wing.
b. Also called canard wing . one of two small lifting wings located in front of the main wings.
c. an early airplane having a pusher engine with the rudder and elevator assembly in front of the wings.
[ 1840-50; quanart drake, orig. cackler, equiv. to can ( er ) to cackle (of expressive orig.) + -art -ART, as in mallart drake; see MALLARD ]