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.

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

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.

Jan 17, 2026 · 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 …

Define canard. canard synonyms, canard pronunciation, canard translation, English dictionary definition of canard. n. 1. An unfounded or false, deliberately misleading story.

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 …

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 …