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Search results for 'can':

can1 verb (past tense could) 1 to be able to • Can you lift that? 2 to know how to • He can play the guitar. 3 to feel able to; to feel it right to • How can you believe that? 4 used to express surprise • Can it really be that late? 5 used to express a possibility • The weather can change so quickly in the mountains. 6 to have permission to • Can I take an apple? 7 used when asking for help, etc • Can you give me the time? See also cannot, can't, could, couldn't.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon cunnan to know.

can, may

Essentially, can denotes capability or capacity, and may denotes permission or opportunity. Because these two sets of meaning constantly overlap, the two words have become highly interchangeable, with can more versatile than may • Hospital trusts attract more staff and can determine their own pay rates • You can do it when you come home from work. In both these examples, may is also possible.

Both can and may are used to denote what is probable or habitual • A quiet river on a summer's day may be a raging torrent in February • Things can go dreadfully wrong at this stage. When capability or capacity is predominant, can is used • I can't cope with life at the moment • Can you see the point I am trying to make?

can2 noun 1 a sealed container, usually of tin plate or aluminium, used to preserve food and protect it from bacterial contamination, or to retain the carbon dioxide in fizzy drinks. 2 a large container made of metal or another material, for holding liquids, eg oil or paint. 3 the amount a can will hold. 4 (the can) slang prison. 5 N Amer, slang (usually the can) a lavatory. verb (canned, canning) to seal (food or drink) in metal containers in order to preserve it. carry the can colloq to take the blame. in the can colloq completed; finished.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon canne.

Can. abbreviation 1 Canada. 2 Canadian.