can

synonyms, antonyms, definitions, examples & translations of can in English

English Online Dictionary. What means can‎? What does can mean?

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English can, first and third person singular of connen, cunnen (“to be able, know how”), from Old English can(n), first and third person singular of cunnan (“to know how”), from Proto-West Germanic *kunnan, from Proto-Germanic *kunnaną, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (whence also know). Doublet of con. See also: canny, cunning.

Alternative forms

canne (obsolete)
kin (pronunciation spelling)

Pronunciation

(stressed)
- enPR: kăn
- (Received Pronunciation, Ireland) IPA^(key): /ˈkæn/, [ˈkʰan], [ˈkʰæn]
- (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈkæn/, [ˈkʰæn], [ˈkʰɛən ~ ˈkʰeən] (see /æ/ raising)
  - (Philadelphia) IPA^(key): /ˈkɛn/
- (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈkæn/, [ˈkʰæn], [ˈkʰɛːn] (see /æ/ raising)
- (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈkɛn/, [ˈkʰɛˑn]
- Rhymes: -æn
(unstressed)
- IPA^(key): /kən/, [kʰən], [kʰn̩]

Pronunciation notes

Some US dialects that glottalize the final /t/ in can’t ([kæn(ʔ)]), in order to differentiate can’t from can, pronounce can as /kɛn/ even when stressed.

Verb

can (third-person singular simple present can, present participle (by suppletion) able, simple past could, past participle (obsolete except in adjectival use) couth)

(auxiliary verb, defective) To know how to; to be able to.
Synonym: be able to

Antonyms: cannot, can't
(modal auxiliary verb, defective, informal) May; to be permitted or enabled to.
Synonym: may
(modal auxiliary verb, defective) To have the potential to; be possible.
(auxiliary verb, defective) Used with verbs of perception.
(obsolete, transitive) To know.
Synonyms: cognize, grok, ken
- ca.1360-1387, William Langland, Piers Plowman
  I can rimes of Robin Hood.
- ca.1360-1387, William Langland, Piers Plowman
  I can no Latin, quod she.
(India, nonstandard, proscribed) To be (followed by a word like able, possible, allowed).

Usage notes

For missing forms, substitute inflected forms of be able to, as:
- I might be able to go.
- I have been able to go, since I was seven.
- I had been able to go before.
- I will be able to go tomorrow.
The word could also suffices in many tenses. “I would be able to go” is equivalent to “I could go”, and “I was able to go” can be rendered “I could go”. (Unless there is a clear indication otherwise, “could verb” means “was able to verb”, but “could not verb” means “was/were unable to verb”.)
The present tense negative can not is usually contracted to cannot (more formal) or can’t (less formal).
The use of can in asking permission sometimes is criticized as being impolite or incorrect by those who favour the more formal alternative “may I...?”.
Can is sometimes used rhetorically to issue a command, placing the command in the form of a request. For instance, “Can you hand me that pen?” as a polite substitution for “Hand me that pen.”
Some US dialects that glottalize the final /t/ in can’t (/kæn(ʔ)/), in order to differentiate can’t from can, pronounce can as /kɛn/ even when stressed.

Conjugation

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English canne, from Old English canne (“glass, container, cup, can”), from Proto-Germanic *kannǭ (“can, tankard, mug, cup”).

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation, General American) enPR: kăn, IPA^(key): /ˈkæn/
- Rhymes: -æn
(General Australian, Southern England) IPA^(key): /ˈkæːn/
(æ-tensing) IPA^(key): [ˈkeən]

Noun

can (plural cans)

A more or less cylindrical and often metal container or vessel.
Synonym: (Australia, Britain, and some Commonwealth nations) tin
A container used to carry and dispense water for plants (a watering can).
(archaic) A chamber pot.
1. (US, slang) a toilet or lavatory.
  (toilet): Synonyms: see Thesaurus:chamber pot, Thesaurus:toilet
  
  (place with a toilet): Synonyms: see Thesaurus:bathroom
  - 1977-1980, Lou Sullivan, personal diary, quoted in 2019, Ellis Martin, Zach Ozma (editors), We Both Laughed In Pleasure
    If he was going to hide out in the can, he can just stay there & sleep in the tub.
(US, slang) Buttocks.
(slang) Jail or prison.
(slang, in the plural) Headphones.
(archaic) A drinking cup.
(nautical) A cylindrical buoy or marker used to denote a port-side lateral mark
A chimney pot.
(slang, in the plural) An E-meter used in Scientology auditing.
(US, slang) An ounce (or sometimes, two ounces) of marijuana.
A protective cover for the fuel element in a nuclear reactor.
(vulgar, slang, Canada, US) The breasts of a woman.

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

can (third-person singular simple present cans, present participle canning, simple past and past participle canned)

(transitive) To seal in a can.
(transitive) To preserve by heating and sealing in a jar or can.
(transitive) To discard, scrap or terminate (an idea, project, etc.).
(transitive, slang) To shut up.
(US, euphemistic, transitive) To fire or dismiss an employee.
(golf, slang, transitive) To hole the ball.
(transitive) To cover (the fuel element in a nuclear reactor) with a protective cover.

Conjugation

Synonyms

(discard): bin, dump, scrap; see also Thesaurus:junk
(shut up): can it, stifle; see also Thesaurus:stop talking or Thesaurus:make silent
(dismiss an employee): axe, let go, sack; see also Thesaurus:lay off

Derived terms

Translations

References

“can”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

ANC, CNA, NAC, NCA

Afar

Etymology

Related to Somali caano, Oromo aannan and Saho xan.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈħan/ [ˈħʌn]
Hyphenation: can

Noun

cán m (plural caanowá f or canooná f)

milk

Declension

References

Loren F. Bliese (1981) A Generative Grammar of Afar‎^[3], Dallas: Summer Institute of Linguistics and University of Texas at Arlington (doctoral thesis).
E. M. Parker, R. J. Hayward (1985) “can”, in An Afar-English-French dictionary (with Grammatical Notes in English), University of London, →ISBN
Mohamed Hassan Kamil (2015) L’afar: description grammaticale d’une langue couchitique (Djibouti, Erythrée et Ethiopie)‎^[4], Paris: Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (doctoral thesis)

Aragonese

Etymology

From Latin canis, canem.

Noun

can m (plural cans)

References

Bal Palazios, Santiago (2002) “can”, in Dizionario breu de a luenga aragonesa, Zaragoza, →ISBN

Asturian

Etymology

From Latin canis, canem.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈkan/, [ˈkãŋ]

Noun

can m (plural canes)

dog (animal)

Synonyms

perru

Azerbaijani

Etymology

From Persian (jân).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [d͡ʒɑn], [d͡zɑn]

Noun

can (definite accusative canı, plural canlar)

soul, spirit
being, creature, life
body (in expressions concerning body sensations)
Synonym: bədən

Canım ağrıyır. ― My body is aching.

Canıma üşütmə düşdü. ― My body is shivering.
force, vigour
life (the state of organisms preceding their death)
canını almaq ― to kill (literally, “to take the life of”)

Declension

Derived terms

Catalan

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic, Valencia) [ˈkan]

Contraction

can

Contraction of ca en (“the house of”).

Chinese

Etymology 1

Clipping of English canteen.

Pronunciation

Noun

can

(Hong Kong Cantonese, university slang) canteen; restaurant (in a university campus)

Etymology 2

Clipping of English cancer.

Pronunciation

Noun

can

(Hong Kong Cantonese) cancer

Synonyms

cancer, 癌症 (áizhèng)

Classical Nahuatl

Alternative forms

cānin

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /kaːn/

Pronoun

cān

where

Derived terms

campa
canah

Related terms

Galician

Alternative forms

cam, cão (reintegrationist)

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈkaŋ/ [ˈkɑŋ]
Rhymes: -aŋ

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese can, from Latin canis, canem. Cognate with Portuguese cão.

Noun

can m (plural cans)

dog
(historical) 20th century 5, 10 cents of peseta coin

Related terms

Etymology 2

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese quan, from Latin quam. Cognate with Portuguese quão and Spanish cuan.

Noun

can m (plural cans)

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Old French chan, from Medieval Latin canus, ultimately from Turkic *qan, contraction of *qaɣan.

Noun

can m (plural cans)

khan

References

Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “can”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “can”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: ILG
Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “can”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “can”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “can”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Interlingua

Noun

can (plural canes)

dog
cock, hammer (of a firearm)

Irish

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /kan̪ˠ/, /kanˠ/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish canaid, from Proto-Celtic *kaneti (“to sing”), from Proto-Indo-European *keh₂n-. Compare Welsh canu, Latin canō, Ancient Greek καναχέω (kanakhéō), Persian (xândan).

Verb

can (present analytic canann, future analytic canfaidh, verbal noun canadh, past participle canta)

to sing
(Ulster) to speak, talk
Synonyms: labhair, bí ag caint

Conjugation

Etymology 2

Noun

can m (genitive singular cana)

sawdust, wood shavings
dandruff

Declension

Etymology 3

Noun

can m

state, condition

Adverb

can

(literary) whence

Derived terms

can duit? (“where are you from?”)

Mutation

References

Istriot

Etymology

From Latin canis.

Noun

can m

Italian

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈkan/
Rhymes: -an
Hyphenation: càn

Etymology 1

From Turkic.

Alternative forms

cane

Noun

can m (uncountable)

(obsolete) Alternative spelling of khan

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

can m (apocopated)

(poetic, literary) Apocopic form of cane; dog

Ligurian

Alternative forms

càn

Etymology

From Latin canis, canem (“dog”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /kaŋ/

Noun

can m (plural chen, diminutive cagnetto or cagnin, feminine cagna)

dog, male dog

Related terms

cagnara

Lombard

Etymology

From Latin Latin canis. Cognate with Italian cane.

Noun

can

Malay

Noun

can

(Pontianak) job
(Medan) opportunity

Mandarin

Romanization

can

Nonstandard spelling of cān.
Nonstandard spelling of cán.
Nonstandard spelling of cǎn.
Nonstandard spelling of càn.

Usage notes

Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

Middle Dutch

Verb

can

first/third-person singular present indicative of connen

Middle English

Etymology 1

Noun

can

Alternative form of canne

Etymology 2

Verb

can

Alternative form of cunnen

Northern Kurdish

Etymology

Related to Persian (jân).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /d͡ʒɑːn/

Noun

can ?

soul

Occitan

Etymology

From Old Occitan [Term?], from Latin canis, canem.

Pronunciation

Noun

can m (plural cans, feminine canha, feminine plural canhas)

dog, hound

Old English

Verb

can

first/third-person singular preterite indicative of cunnan

Old Galician-Portuguese

Etymology

From Latin canem (“dog”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwṓ (“dog”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈkã/

Noun

can m (plural cans)

dog
- 13th century, Cancioneiro da Biblioteca Nacional, Alfonso X of Castile, B 476: Non quer'eu donzela fea (facsimile)

Descendants

Galician: can
Portuguese: cão

Old Occitan

Alternative forms

quan

Etymology

From Latin quandō.

Conjunction

can

when

Adverb

can

(interrogative) when

Descendants

Occitan: quand

Salar

Etymology

From Persian (jân, “soul, life, life force”).

Pronunciation

(Jiezi, Gaizi, Qingshui, Xunhua, Qinghai) IPA^(key): [ʒɑn]
(Jiezi, Gaizi, Xunhua, Qinghai) IPA^(key): [ʒɑːn]
(Mengda, Qingshui, Xunhua, Qinghai) IPA^(key): [ʝɑn]

Noun

can

soul

References

Tenishev, Edhem (1976) “can”, in Stroj salárskovo jazyká [Grammar of Salar], Moscow, pages 371, 564

Scots

Etymology

Verb

can (third-person singular simple present can, simple past cud)

can
be able to
He shuid can dae that. ― He should be able to do that.

Derived terms

cannae (“cannot”)

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish canaid (“to sing”), from Proto-Celtic *kaneti (“to sing”), from Proto-Indo-European *keh₂n-. Compare Welsh canu, Latin canō, Ancient Greek καναχέω (kanakhéō), Persian (xândan).

Verb

can (past chan, future canaidh, verbal noun cantainn or canail or cantail, past participle cante)

to say
cha chan mi càil mus can mi cus ― I won't say anything before I've said too much
to sing (a song)
future indicative dependent of can

Usage notes

In most dialects of Scottish Gaelic still spoken, with the notable exception of Islay, the future and conditional tenses and the imperative form are very often used for the verb abair in place of the actual abair forms, particularly in colloquial language; the abair forms are recognised but considered Biblical or excessively formal. Some northern dialects, such as Skye and Lewis, extend this to verbal noun forms derived from can, such as cantainn and canail.

References

Edward Dwelly (1911) “can”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎^[5], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Latin canis, canem (“dog”). Cognate with Catalan ca, Portuguese cão.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈkan/ [ˈkãn]
Rhymes: -an
Syllabification: can

Noun

can m (plural canes)

(formal) dog, hound
Synonyms: perro, (colloquial) chucho

Hypernyms

cánido

Hyponyms

cachorro

Related terms

Tày

Pronunciation

(Thạch An – Tràng Định) IPA^(key): [kaːn˧˥]
(Trùng Khánh) IPA^(key): [kaːn˦]

Etymology 1

From Chinese 乾／干.

Adjective

can

dried up
nà can ― dried up field

Derived terms

Etymology 2

From Chinese 干.

Noun

can (干)

heavenly stem

Verb

can

to concern; to involve
nắm can lăng thâng te ― to not have any relations to them

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Vietnamese can.

Verb

can (干)

to dissuade
can nắm hẩư tò đá ― to dissuade from insults
to warn and advise someone against

References

Lương Bèn (2011) Từ điển Tày-Việt [Tay-Vietnamese dictionary]‎^[6][7] (in Vietnamese), Thái Nguyên: Nhà Xuất bản Đại học Thái Nguyên
Lục Văn Pảo, Hoàng Tuấn Nam (2003) Hoàng Triều Ân, editor, Từ điển chữ Nôm Tày [A Dictionary of (chữ) Nôm Tày]‎^[8] (in Vietnamese), Hanoi: Nhà xuất bản Khoa học Xã hội

Turkish

Etymology

From Ottoman Turkish جان, from Persian (jân, “soul, vital spirit, life”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /dʒan/
Hyphenation: can

Noun

can (definite accusative canı, plural canlar)

soul, life, being
sweetheart

Declension

Venetan

Etymology

From Latin canis, canem.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /kaŋ/

Noun

can m (plural cani)

(Belluno, Chipilo) dog

Vietnamese

Pronunciation

(Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [kaːn˧˧]
(Huế) IPA^(key): [kaːŋ˧˧]
(Saigon) IPA^(key): [kaːŋ˧˧]

Etymology 1

Sino-Vietnamese word from 肝.

Noun

can

(alternative medicine) liver

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Sino-Vietnamese word from 干.

Noun

can

Short for Thiên Can (“celestial stem”).

Derived terms

Verb

can

to concern; to apply to
to be involved (in); to be implicated (in)

Derived terms

Etymology 3

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 諫 (SV: gián).

Verb

can

to dissuade (someone from doing something); to intervene

Etymology 4

From English canne.

Noun

(classifier cây, cái) can

walking stick

Etymology 5

Verb

can

to join; to unite; to sew together

Etymology 6

From French calque.

Verb

can

to trace (through translucent paper), to do tracing

Derived terms

Volapük

Noun

can (nominative plural cans)

sales commodity, merchandise, wares

Declension

Welsh

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /kan/
Rhymes: -an

Etymology 1

Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kand- (“to shine, glow”).

See also Ancient Greek κάνδαρος (kándaros, “charcoal”), Albanian hënë (“moon”), Sanskrit चन्द्र (candrá, “shining”) and Old Armenian խանդ (xand).

Adjective

can (feminine singular can, plural can, equative canned, comparative cannach, superlative cannaf)

bleached, white

Noun

can m (plural caniau)

flour
Synonyms: blawd, fflŵr, paill, peilliaid

Derived terms

cannaid (“bright, refulgent”)
cannu (“to bleach, to whiten”)

Etymology 2

From Middle Welsh and Old Welsh cant, from Proto-Brythonic *kant, from Proto-Celtic *kantom (“hundred”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱm̥tóm.

Numeral

can

(cardinal number) Apocopic form of cant (“one hundred”)

Usage notes

This is the form the number cant (“one hundred”) takes when it precedes a noun.

Etymology 3

From English can.

Noun

can m (plural caniau)

a can

Mutation

Yucatec Maya

Etymology 1

Numeral

can

Obsolete spelling of kan.

Etymology 2

Noun

can

Obsolete spelling of kaan.

can

can

English

Etymology 1

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Pronunciation notes

Verb

Usage notes

Conjugation

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Noun

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

Conjugation

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

See also

References

Anagrams

Afar

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Declension

References

Aragonese

Etymology

Noun

References

Asturian

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Synonyms

Azerbaijani

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Declension

Derived terms

Catalan

Pronunciation

Contraction

Further reading

Chinese

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Noun

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Noun

Synonyms

Classical Nahuatl

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Pronoun

Derived terms

Related terms

Galician

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Noun

Related terms

Etymology 2

Noun

Etymology 3

Noun

References

Interlingua

Noun

Irish