can
noun
- sealed container for storage of foods or beverages
verb
- able to do something
- have the permit to do something
- put into tins
- fire (metphorical extension of 'throw away')
verb
- to put something into a can
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈkæn/ / [ˈkʰæn] / /ˈkan/ / /ˈkaːn/
intj
Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- Proto-Indo-European *-né- Proto-Indo-European *ǵn̥néh₃ti Proto-Germanic *kunnaną Proto-West Germanic *kunnan Old English cunnan Middle English can English can 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.
- OK, sure; indicates approval or acknowledgment.
- Used to convey reassurance.
name
Etymology: Etymology tree Spanish CANbor. English CAN Borrowed from Spanish CAN.
- The Andean Community of Nations.
noun
Etymology: Abbreviation
- ceric ammonium nitrate
- Abbreviation of controller area network.
- Initialism of campus area network.
- Acronym of community action network.
- Initialism of consistent and asymptotically normal, a statistic estimator Tₙ(X₁, X₂, ..., Xₙ) is CAN (consistent and asymptotically normal) if ....
- Acronym of court attendance notice.
particle
Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- Proto-Indo-European *-né- Proto-Indo-European *ǵn̥néh₃ti Proto-Germanic *kunnaną Proto-West Germanic *kunnan Old English cunnan Middle English can English can 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.
- OK(?); used at the end of a question when seeking approval or acknowledgment.
“I cut this wire, can?”
“Can you go collect them or not? The shop is at Jalan Sultan. I’m not free, otherwise I’ll do it myself. Can?”
verb
Etymology: From Middle English canne, from Old English canne (“glass, container, cup, jar”), from Proto-Germanic *kannǭ (“can, tankard, mug, cup”).
- To seal in a can.
“They canned air to sell as a novelty to tourists.”
- To preserve by heating and sealing in a jar or can.
“They spent August canning fruit and vegetables.”
- To discard, scrap or terminate (an idea, project, etc.).
“He canned the whole project because he thought it would fail.”
“My next stop is Oxford, which has also grown with the addition of new platforms to accommodate the Chiltern Railways service to London via Bicester - although, short sightedly, the planned electrification from Paddington was canned. Evidence of the volte-face can be seen along the line at places such as Radley, where mast piles are already sunk or lie discarded at the lineside.”
- To shut up.
“Can your gob.”
“Maurrant: Aw, can all that talk! You been listenin’ to them bolshevikis, that’s the trouble.”
- To fire or dismiss an employee.
“The boss canned him for speaking out.”
“As a result of his refusal, the employee was subsequently canned in 2015 on the basis of "professional inadequacy" and failing to embody the "party" atmosphere that the consultancy was trying to cultivate.”
- To hole the ball.
“I thought I had canned it, but it just missed, and I tapped in the second one for a par.”
- To cover (the fuel element in a nuclear reactor) with a protective cover.