can
could; cannot; cans; canning; canned
A can is a metal container, usually cylindrical in shape, which has an airtight seal when it's new. All kinds of goods come in cans, from fruit and vegetables to paint and oil.
The verb can means to preserve food in a can or glass jar. If your garden produces more tomatoes than you can possibly eat, you might make salsa and can it to eat all winter long. Can is also a slang word with several meanings. It means rear end, toilet, and it also means to fire someone: "Watch out, the boss canned three people yesterday! You could be next."
Definitions of can
-
airtight sealed metal container for food or drink or paint etc.
-
types:
- show 7 types...
- hide 7 types...
-
beer can
a can that holds beer
-
caddy, tea caddy
a can for storing tea
-
cannikin
a small can
-
coffee can
a can for storing ground coffee
-
milk can
large can for transporting milk
-
oilcan
a can with a long nozzle to apply oil to machinery
-
soda can
a can for holding soft drinks
-
type of:
-
container
any object that can be used to hold things (especially a large metal boxlike object of standardized dimensions that can be loaded from one form of transport to another)
-
the quantity contained in a can
-
synonyms:
canful
-
type of:
-
containerful
the quantity that a container will hold
-
containerful
-
preserve in a can or tin
-
terminate the employment of; discharge from an office or position
-
synonyms:
dismiss, displace, fire, force out, give notice, give the axe, give the sack, sack, send away, terminate
-
types:
- show 8 types...
- hide 8 types...
-
retire
make (someone) retire
-
pension off
let go from employment with an attractive pension
-
clean out
force out
-
furlough, lay off
dismiss, usually for economic reasons
-
squeeze out
force out
-
dismiss, drop, send away, send packing
stop associating with
-
superannuate
retire and pension (someone) because of age or physical inability
-
downsize
dismiss from work
-
type of:
-
remove
remove from a position or an office
-
a buoy with a round bottom and conical top
-
the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on
-
a plumbing fixture for defecation and urination
-
types:
-
flushless toilet
a toilet that relies on bacteria to break down waste matter (instead of using water)
-
flush toilet, lavatory
a toilet that is cleaned of waste by the flow of water through it
-
potty chair, potty seat
toilet consisting of a small seat used by young children
-
type of:
-
plumbing fixture
a fixture for the distribution and use of water in a building
-
flushless toilet
-
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
-
types:
- show 7 types...
- hide 7 types...
-
head
(nautical) a toilet on board a boat or ship
-
comfort station, convenience, public convenience, public lavatory, public toilet, restroom, toilet facility, wash room
a toilet that is available to the public
-
washroom
a lavatory (particularly a lavatory in a public place)
-
W.C., closet, loo, water closet
a toilet in Britain
-
ladies' room, powder room
a woman's restroom in a public (or semipublic) building
-
latrine
a public toilet in a military area
-
men's, men's room
a public toilet for men
-
type of:
-
room
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘can'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
Send us feedback
Word Family
EDITOR'S CHOICE
Look up can for the last time
Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the words you need to know.
