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Can Very Common

Can has 15 different meanings across 3 categories:

Noun · Verb · Proper Noun

Definitions
Noun
1

airtight sealed metal container for food or drink or paint etc.

2

the quantity contained in a can

3

a buoy with a round bottom and conical top

4

the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on

"he deserves a good kick in the butt"

"are you going to sit on your fanny and do nothing?"

5

a plumbing fixture for defecation and urination

6

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

7

A more or less cylindrical vessel for liquids, usually of steel or aluminium, but sometimes of plastic, and with a carrying handle over the top.

8

ceric ammonium nitrate

In plain English: It's a chemical that helps other substances react by taking electrons from them.

"The lab technician carefully added a few drops of can to the solution."

Usage: Can (noun) refers specifically to ceric ammonium nitrate, a strong oxidizing agent often used in chemistry labs. It's typically represented by the abbreviation "CAN" and is not interchangeable with the verb "can.

Verb
1

preserve in a can or tin

"tinned foods are not very tasty"

2

terminate the employment of; discharge from an office or position

"The boss fired his secretary today"

"The company terminated 25% of its workers"

3

To know how to; to be able to.

4

To seal in a can.

In plain English: To put something inside a container and close it tightly.

"The factory workers carefully can peaches every summer."

Usage: Can (verb) means to enclose something within a container, typically a metal can or jar. Use it like this: "We canned peaches from our garden last summer."

Proper Noun
1

Alternative spelling of Can.

2

Abbreviation of Controller Area Network., ISO standards 11898, 11898-1, 11898-2, and its predecessor standards.

3

The Andean Community of Nations.

Example Sentences
"The lab technician carefully added a few drops of can to the solution." noun
"The can of soup was empty by lunchtime." noun
"She opened the new paint can with difficulty." noun
"Don't forget to put an extra lid on that gas can before leaving." noun
"The factory workers carefully can peaches every summer." verb
See Also
tin container soda food aluminum metal cylinder able
Related Terms
tin container soda food aluminum metal cylinder able paint could inside possible afford holder soup tin container may soda container employee prison
Antonyms
engage
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
container containerful buoy body part plumbing fixture room preserve remove
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
beer can caddy cannikin coffee can milk can oilcan soda can flushless toilet flush toilet potty seat head public toilet washroom water closet retire pension off clean out furlough squeeze out dismiss

Origin

The word "can" comes from Old English, where it originally meant "to know how." It is related to the modern word "know," sharing a common ancestor in Proto-Indo-European.

Rhyming Words
scan ican alcan lycan lucan incan tucan lacan recan oscan decan pecan pocan rican tacan flucan youcan rescan narcan peccan
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