Canalize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To establish a channel for the movement of fluids or to guide thoughts and feelings into specific directions for clearer understanding or expression
2. To organize and direct a flow, whether it be of water, energy, or emotional states, into predetermined pathways for effective management
3. To create or designate a channel that channels liquids or directs emotions and ideas into organized routes for better control and expression

Etymology: "Canalize" is a plain formation: the noun "canal" with the verbal suffix "-ize" attached, meaning to channel something into a fixed course, much as a canal channels water. The suffix has a long pedigree of its own. It descends from Ancient Greek "-izein", passed through Late Latin "-izare" and Middle French "-iser", and entered English as "-isen" in Middle English before settling as "-ize". So the word combines a noun borrowed from Italian and French with a Greek-derived ending that English has used for centuries to turn nouns into verbs. The literal sense came first. To canalize was to dig or direct a waterway, and the move to figurative use simply extended that picture: a flow of people, traffic, money or ideas is steered into a defined channel, just as water would be. Today the word most often describes funnelling traffic, aid or investment along set routes, and the metaphor keeps the original image of water running where it is directed.

Synonyms: channel, direct, guide

Antonyms: disperse, scatter