can

can¹

modal verb (3rd singular present can; past could)

1》 be able to.

    ↘[with negative or in questions] used to express doubt or surprise: he can't have finished.

    ↘used to indicate that something is typically the case: he could be very moody.

2》 be permitted to.

Origin

OE cunnan 'know'.

Usage

The use of can rather than may to request or express permission, as in may/can I ask you a few questions?, is not incorrect in standard English, although some people object to it. May is, generally speaking, a more polite way of asking for something, however, and is the better choice in more formal contexts.

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can²

noun

1》 a cylindrical metal container, in particular one in which food or drink is hermetically sealed for storage over long periods.

2》 (the can) N. Amer. informal prison.

3》 (the can) N. Amer. informal a toilet.

4》 (cans) informal headphones.

verb (cans, canning, canned)

1》 preserve in a can.

2》 N. Amer. informal dismiss from a job or reject as inadequate.

Phrases

a can of worms a complicated matter likely to prove awkward or embarrassing.

in the can informal on tape or film and ready to be broadcast or released.

Derivatives

canner noun

Origin

OE canne, either of Gmc origin or from late L. canna.