Adjacent Words

Can definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CAN, n. A cup or vessel for liquors, in modern times made of metal; as a can of ale.
CAN, v.i. pret. could, which is from another root. [See Could.]
1. To be able; to have sufficient strength or physical power. One man can lift a weight which another can not. A horse can run a certain distance in a given time.
2. To have means, or instruments, which supply power or ability. A man can build a house, or fit out a ship, if he has the requisite property. A nation cannot prosecute a war, without money or credit. I will lend you a thousand dollars, if I can.
3. To be possible.
Nicodemus said, How can these thing be? John 3.
4. To have adequate moral power. A man can indulge in pleasure, or he can refrain. He can restrain his appetites, if he will.
5. To have just or legal competent power, that is, right; to be free from any restraint of moral, civil or political obligation, or from any positive prohibition. We can use a highway for travel, for this is permitted by law. A man can or cannot hold an office. The Jews could not eat certain kinds of animals which were declared to be unclean. The House of Commons in England can impeach, but the House of Lords only can try impeachments. In general, we can do whatever neither the laws of God nor of man forbid.
How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God. Genesis 34.
I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord, my God, to do less or more. Numbers 22.
6. To have natural strength, or capacity; to be susceptible of; to be able or free to undergo any change, or produce any effect, by the laws and constitution of nature, or by divine appointment. Silver can be melted, but cannot be changed into gold.
Can the rush grow without mire? Job 8.
Can the fig tree bear olive berries? James 3.
Can faith save him? James 2.
7. To have competent strength, ability, fortitude, patience, etc., in a passive sense. He cannot bear reproof. I cannot endure this impertinence.
This is a hard saying; who can hear it? John 6.
8. To have the requisite knowledge, experience or skill. Young men are not admitted members of college, till they can translate Latin and Greek. An astronomer can calculate an eclipse, though he can not make a coat.
9. To have strength of inclination or motives sufficient to overcome obstacles, impediments, inconvenience or other objection.
I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. Luke 9.
I cannot rise and give thee - yet because of him importunity, he will rise and give him. Luke 9.
10. To have sufficient capacity; as, a vessel can not hold or contain the whole quantity.
CAN, v.t. To know.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: airtight sealed metal container for food or drink or paint etc. [syn: can, tin, tin can]
2: the quantity contained in a can [syn: can, canful]
3: a buoy with a round bottom and conical top [syn: can, can buoy]
4: the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on; "he deserves a good kick in the butt"; "are you going to sit on your fanny and do nothing?" [syn: buttocks, nates, arse, butt, backside, bum, buns, can, fundament, hindquarters, hind end, keister, posterior, prat, rear, rear end, rump, stern, seat, tail, tail end, tooshie, tush, bottom, behind, derriere, fanny, ass]
5: a plumbing fixture for defecation and urination [syn: toilet, can, commode, crapper, pot, potty, stool, throne]
6: a room or building equipped with one or more toilets [syn: toilet, lavatory, lav, can, john, privy, bathroom] v
1: preserve in a can or tin; "tinned foods are not very tasty" [syn: can, tin, put up]
2: terminate the employment of; discharge from an office or position; "The boss fired his secretary today"; "The company terminated 25% of its workers" [syn: displace, fire, give notice, can, dismiss, give the axe, send away, sack, force out, give the sack, terminate] [ant: employ, engage, hire]

Merriam Webster's

or Canad abbreviation Canada; Canadian

Merriam Webster's

I. verb (past could; present singular & plural can) Etymology: Middle English (1st & 3d singular present indicative), from Old English; akin to Old High German kan (1st & 3d singular present indicative) know, am able, Old English cn?wan to know — more at know Date: before 12th century transitive verb 1. obsolete know, understand 2. archaic to be able to do, make, or accomplish intransitive verb archaic to have knowledge or skill verbal auxiliary 1. a. know how to <she can read> b. be physically or mentally able to <he can lift 200 pounds> c. — used to indicate possibility <do you think he can still be alive> <those things can happen> — sometimes used interchangeably with may d. be permitted by conscience or feeling to <can hardly blame her> e. be made possible or probable by circumstances to <he can hardly have meant that> f. be inherently able or designed to <everything that money can buy> g. be logically or axiologically able to <2 + 2 can also be written 3 + 1> h. be enabled by law, agreement, or custom to 2. have permission to — used interchangeably with may <you can go now if you like> Usage: Can and may are most frequently interchangeable in senses denoting possibility; because the possibility of one's doing something may depend on another's acquiescence, they have also become interchangeable in the sense denoting permission. The use of can to ask or grant permission has been common since the 19th century and is well established, although some commentators feel may is more appropriate in formal contexts. May is relatively rare in negative constructions (mayn't is not common); cannot and can't are usual in such contexts. II. noun Etymology: Middle English canne, from Old English; akin to Old High German channa Date: before 12th century 1. a usually cylindrical receptacle: a. a vessel for holding liquids; specifically a drinking vessel b. a usually metal typically cylindrical receptacle usually with an open top, often with a removable cover, and sometimes with a spout or side handles (as for holding milk or trash) c. a container (as of tinplate) in which products (as perishable foods) are hermetically sealed for preservation until use d. a jar for packing or preserving fruit or vegetables 2. jail 3. a. toilet b. bathroom 1 4. buttocks 5. destroyer 2 • canful noun III. transitive verb (canned; canning) Date: 1859 1. a. to put in a can ; preserve by sealing in airtight cans or jars <can tomatoes> b. to hit (a golf shot) into the cup c. to hit (a shot) in basketball 2. to discharge from employment 3. slang to put a stop or end to • canner noun IV. abbreviation 1. canceled; cancellation 2. cannon 3. canto

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. v.aux. (3rd sing. present can; past could) (foll. by infin. without to, or absol.; present and past only in use) 1 a be able to; know how to (I can run fast; can he?; can you speak German?). b be potentially capable of (you can do it if you try). 2 be permitted to (can we go to the party?). Etymology: OE cunnan know 2. n. & v. --n. 1 a metal vessel for liquid. 2 a tin container in which food or drink is hermetically sealed to enable storage over long periods. 3 (prec. by the) sl. a prison (sent to the can). b US lavatory. --v.tr. (canned, canning) 1 put or preserve in a can. 2 record on film or tape for future use. Phrases and idioms: can of worms colloq. a complicated problem. can-opener a device for opening cans (in sense 2 of n.). in the can colloq. completed, ready (orig. of filmed or recorded material). Derivatives: canner n. Etymology: OE canne

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Can Can, v. t. & i. Note: [The transitive use is obsolete.] [imp. Could.] [OE. cunnen, cannen (1st sing. pres. I can), to know, know how, be able, AS. cunnan, 1st sing. pres. ic cann or can, pl. cunnon, 1st sing. imp. c[=u][eth]e (for cun[eth]e); p. p. c[=u][eth] (for cun[eth]); akin to OS. Kunnan, D. Kunnen, OHG. chunnan, G. k["o]nnen, Icel. kunna, Goth. Kunnan, and E. ken to know. The present tense I can (AS. ic cann) was originally a preterit, meaning I have known or Learned, and hence I know, know how. [root]45. See Ken, Know; cf. Con, Cunning, Uncouth.] 1. To know; to understand. [Obs.] I can rimes of Rodin Hood. --Piers Plowman. I can no Latin, quod she. --Piers Plowman. Let the priest in surplice white, That defunctive music can. --Shak. 2. To be able to do; to have power or influence. [Obs.] The will of Him who all things can. --Milton. For what, alas, can these my single arms? --Shak. M[ae]c[ae]nas and Agrippa, who can most with C[ae]sar. --Beau. & Fl. 3. To be able; -- followed by an infinitive without to; as, I can go, but do not wish to. Syn: Can but, Can not but. It is an error to use the former of these phrases where the sens requires the latter. If we say, ``I can but perish if I go,'' ``But'' means only, and denotes that this is all or the worst that can happen. When the apostle Peter said. ``We can not but speak of the things which we have seen and heard.'' he referred to a moral constraint or necessety which rested upon him and his associates; and the meaning was, We cannot help speaking, We cannot refrain from speaking. This idea of a moral necessity or constraint is of frequent occurrence, and is also expressed in the phrase, ``I can not help it.'' Thus we say. ``I can not but hope,'' ``I can not but believe,'' ``I can not but think,'' ``I can not but remark,'' etc., in cases in which it would be an error to use the phrase can but. Yet he could not but acknowledge to himself that there was something calculated to impress awe, . . . in the sudden appearances and vanishings . . . of the masque --De Quincey. Tom felt that this was a rebuff for him, and could not but understand it as a left-handed hit at his employer. --Dickens.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Can Can, an obs. form of began, imp. & p. p. of Begin, sometimes used in old poetry. Note: [See Gan.] With gentle words he can faile gree. --Spenser.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Can Can, n. [OE. & AS. canne; akin to D. Kan, G. Kanne, OHG. channa, Sw. Kanna, Dan. kande.] 1. A drinking cup; a vessel for holding liquids. --[Shak. ] Fill the cup and fill can, Have a rouse before the morn. --Tennyson. 2. A vessel or case of tinned iron or of sheet metal, of various forms, but usually cylindrical; as, a can of tomatoes; an oil can; a milk can. Note: A can may be a cylinder open at the top, as for receiving the sliver from a carding machine, or with a removable cover or stopper, as for holding tea, spices, milk, oysters, etc., or with handle and spout, as for holding oil, or hermetically sealed, in canning meats, fruits, etc. The name is also sometimes given to the small glass or earthenware jar used in canning.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Can Can, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Canned; p. pr. &vb. n. Canning.] To preserve by putting in sealed cans [U. S.] ``Canned meats'' --W. D. Howells. Canned goods, a general name for fruit, vegetables, meat, or fish, preserved in hermetically sealed cans.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

I. MODAL USES Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. Note: 'Can' is a modal verb. It is used with the base form of a verb. The form 'cannot' is used in negative statements. The usual spoken form of 'cannot' is 'can't', pronounced 1. You use can when you are mentioning a quality or fact about something which people may make use of if they want to. Pork is also the most versatile of meats. It can be roasted whole or in pieces... A central reservation number operated by the resort can direct you to accommodations that best suit your needs... A selected list of some of those stocking a comprehensive range can be found in Chapter 8. MODAL 2. You use can to indicate that someone has the ability or opportunity to do something. Don't worry yourself about me, I can take care of myself... I can't give you details because I don't actually have any details... See if you can find Karlov and tell him we are ready for dinner... 'You're needed here, Livy'—'But what can I do?'... Customers can choose from sixty hit titles before buying... MODAL 3. You use cannot to indicate that someone is not able to do something because circumstances make it impossible for them to do it. We cannot buy food, clothes and pay for rent and utilities on $20 a week... She cannot sleep and the pain is often so bad she wants to scream. MODAL 4. You use can to indicate that something is true sometimes or is true in some circumstances. ...long-term therapy that can last five years or more... Exercising alone can be boring... Coral can be yellow, blue, or green. MODAL 5. You use cannot and can't to state that you are certain that something is not the case or will not happen. From her knowledge of Douglas's habits, she feels sure that the attacker can't have been Douglas... Things can't be that bad... You can't be serious, Mrs Lorimer? MODAL 6. You use can to indicate that someone is allowed to do something. You use cannot or can't to indicate that someone is not allowed to do something. You must buy the credit life insurance before you can buy the disability insurance... Here, can I really have your jeans when you grow out of them?... We can't answer any questions, I'm afraid... MODAL 7. You use cannot or can't when you think it is very important that something should not happen or that someone should not do something. It is an intolerable situation and it can't be allowed to go on... The Commission can't demand from Sweden more than it demands from its own members. = mustn't MODAL [emphasis] 8. You use can, usually in questions, in order to make suggestions or to offer to do something. This old lady was struggling out of the train and I said, 'Oh, can I help you?'... Hello John. What can we do for you?... You can always try the beer you know–it's usually all right in this bar. MODAL 9. You use can in questions in order to make polite requests. You use can't in questions in order to request strongly that someone does something. Can I have a look at that?... Can you please help?... Can you fill in some of the details of your career?... Why can't you leave me alone? MODAL [politeness] 10. You use can as a polite way of interrupting someone or of introducing what you are going to say next. (FORMAL, SPOKEN) Can I interrupt you just for a minute?... But if I can interrupt, Joe, I don't think anybody here is personally blaming you... = may MODAL 11. You use can with verbs such as 'imagine', 'think', and 'believe' in order to emphasize how you feel about a particular situation. (INFORMAL or SPOKEN) You can imagine he was terribly upset... You can't think how glad I was to see them all go... MODAL [emphasis] 12. You use can in questions with 'how' to indicate that you feel strongly about something. (SPOKEN) How can you complain about higher taxes?... How can you say such a thing?... How can you expect me to believe your promises? MODAL [emphasis] II. CONTAINER (cans, canning, canned) 1. A can is a metal container in which something such as food, drink, or paint is put. The container is usually sealed to keep the contents fresh. ...empty beer cans. ...cans of paint and brushes. = tin N-COUNT 2. When food or drink is canned, it is put into a metal container and sealed so that it will remain fresh. ...fruits and vegetables that will be canned, skinned, diced or otherwise processed... It was always roast lamb and canned peas for Sunday lunch. = tin VERB: usu passive, be V-ed, V-ed 3. The can is the toilet. (AM INFORMAL) N-SING: the N 4. If you are canned, you are dismissed from your job. (AM INFORMAL) The extremists prevailed, and the security minister was canned... VERB: be V-ed 5. see also canned

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. n. 1. Be able to, have power to. 2. Be possible to.

Moby Thesaurus

Casanova, WC, arse, ass, ax, backhouse, backside, bag, barrel, basement, basket, bathroom, battleship, battlewagon, be able, be permitted, be up to, bedpan, behind, boot, boot out, bottle, bounce, box, box up, break, bum, bump, burden, bust, butt, calaboose, can do, capital ship, capsule, carton, case, cashier, cask, chamber, chamber pot, chaser, cheeks, chemical closet, chemical toilet, chokey, clink, closet, comfort station, commode, convenience, cooler, coop, crapper, crate, cut it, cut the mustard, defrock, degrade, demote, deplume, depose, deprive, derriere, destroyer, disbar, discharge, disemploy, dismiss, displace, displume, do up, drum out, earth closet, encase, encyst, expel, fanny, fill, fire, freight, fundament, furlough, give the ax, give the gate, hack it, hamper, have permission, head, heap, heap up, hind end, hoosegow, jar, jerry, john, johnny, johnny house, jordan, jug, keister, kick, kick out, kick upstairs, lade, lady-killer, latrine, lavatory, lay off, let go, let out, load, lockup, loo, make it, make redundant, make the grade, masher, mass, may, necessary, outhouse, pack, pack away, package, parcel, pen, pension off, philander, philanderer, pile, piss pot, pocket, pokey, possess authority, pot, potty, potty-chair, powder room, prat, prison, privy, put up, quod, read out of, release, remove, replace, rest room, retire, rusty-dusty, sack, separate forcibly, ship, slammer, stack, stern, stir, stool, store, stow, strip, superannuate, surplus, suspend, tail, take charge, tank, terminate, throne, thunder mug, tin, toilet, toilet room, tuchis, turn off, turn out, tush, tushy, unfrock, urinal, washroom, water closet, womanizer