can 
ni/ngc, etc., earlier and north, form cunnand, is 
mod. K. ciniiiiiii/, with a partly delleeleil sense: 
gee cunning, a., mid cunning, n. (5) The pp. 
couth is found in mod. E. only in comp. un- 
couth, anil deriv. kith, kit lie, q.'v. ; ME. ninth, 
mini, cuth, < AS. rii/li (I'or 'ciintli. like pret. 
at the above), known. The ME. and AS. sense 
of can as an independent verb is ' know ' ; as 
an auxiliary, 'be able'; but the latter use is 
rare in AS., being supplied by nuvg, E. HUUJ. 
The cognate forms (1st and Bd pen. pres. and 
pret. ind., and inf.) are: OS. kan, konstti. I, mi- 
nan = OFl'ies. lean, 1,-iniiln, I:IIIIHII. l;in,iui = 1). 
kan, kondi'. kmim-n = MLG. <//, /<//, /.-- 
inn, kiiinim, koiit'it, LG. kiln, kuiitlr, kiint-ii = 
OHG. chan, kiin, chunda, chontla, konda, chon- 
xtn. l:nn.tlii, I'hiiiiiiini, MUG. kiin. kimili; knnili; 
/iiiini ii, 1,-iinni'n, (!. kiinii, koiinti'. Iciinnen = Icel. 
kit >i ii, kiiiini, kintini = Sw. /.-/in, kiiiitlr, kiuiiid = 
Dan. knit, knnitr, kniini- = Goth, kann, kuntha, 
know; prop, a preterit present, AS. 
being orig. a strong pret. (with pp. *<- 
nen, whence the later weak pret. ruthe, and weak 
pp. cuth) of an assumed inf. "cinnan (whence 
the factitive ceniutn, make known, = Icel. kenna, 
make known, know: see ken*), Tent. / "kin, 
"ken (= Lith. zinau, know, recognize, = Olr. 
adgein, perf., knew), orig. 'perceive, get know- 
ledge of' (pret. 'have perceived, have gotten 
knowledge of,' and hence, in indefinite or pres- 
ent time, 'know'), this root being parallel with 
the ult. related *kna, *kno in AS. cnawan, E. 
know, L. gno-scere, etc. (see know) ; in another 
view orig. 'beget, get' (pret. 'have gotten'), 
connected with AS. cennan, beget, produce, 
cynn, kin, ge-cynd, kind, etc., / "ken, L. *gen, 
etc., but this root, though equally widely ex- 
tended, appears to be fundamentally distinct 
from the root "ken, know: see ken 2 , kin 1 , kind, 
limits, etc. Hence ult. cow 1 (= can 1 ), con 2 , 
i-ii nt, cuifi, cunning, couth, uncouth (= unco), 
kith, kithe, etc.] A. As an independent verb. 
I.t trans. 1. To know; understand. 
Ami Pounces ami Antonye, that nioche couxle of werre, 
issed mite of the hoste all armed in to the foreste of Bry- 
oke. Merlin (E. E. T. 8.), Hi. 38B. 
For Latlne ne canst thou nat yet but sniale, my litel 
Sonue. Chaucer, Astrolabe, Pref. 
Clerkys that canne the scyens seuene 
Seys that curtasy came fro heuen. 
Babees Book (E. E. T. S.), p. 17. 
She could the Bible iu the holy tongue, 
And read it without priuks. 
B. Jonson, Magnetick Lady, 1. 1. 
And con you these tongues perfectly ? 
Beau, and Fl. , Coxcomb, iv. 4. 
O, she could the art of woman most feelingly. 
Deklcer and Webster, Northward Ho, 1. 1. 
2. To know how to do; be able to do. 
We are mortal ; 
And can but deeds of men. 
B. Jonson, Sejanus, 1. 2. 
I know your fiery temper, 
And that you can, and dare, as much as men. 
Fletcher, Double Marriage, iv. 1. 
Thou little wotest what this right-hand can. 
Spenser, F. Q., II. ill. 16. 
To can <>r con thank or thankst (AS. thonc cunnan; also 
Ihitnc tritan, = OS. thank tritan, etc. : see nit], literally, to 
know thanks; hence, to recognize obligation ; give thanks. 
Y con thee gret thonke. William of Palernc, 1. 297. 
I con him no thanks for 't. Shalt., All's Well, Iv. S. 
is,, in curly use the negative, to con unthant, to give no 
tlmiika. 
Al that goud we hem doth, 
Heo hit blutheleiche nmlerfoth (blithely receive], 
And ctmnen vs unth&nc. Layainan, I. 140.] 
To con magret | maugre I, to show displeasure at ; blame. 
Sec niautjrf, n. 
\ ef I wiste the kynge looth woldeeonn* me noinauffre, 
1 wnlde sey that he sholdc go. Merlin (E. E. T. S.), ill. 606. 
Il.t intrans. To have ability; be able. Still 
so used in Scotch : as, I'll no can go. 
He sceal him conne sculde Ihe shall can (be able to) shield 
him well |. 
Moral Ode, at. 107 (Early Eng. Poems, ed. Furnivall, p. 22). 
In evil the best condition is not to will, the second not 
t" '"- Bacon, Of Great Place. 
And now that we understand each other, yell can name 
your business. R. L. Stevenson, Kidnapped, xxiv 
B. As an auxiliary. 1. To be able; properly, 
to be able physically; hence, by extension, to 
be able mentally, morally, or legally ; possess 
the qualities, qualifications, or resources ne- 
eessjiry for the attainment of any end or the 
accomplishment of any purpose, the specific 
end or purpose being indicated by the verb to 
which can is auxiliary. 
Can the tig-trcc . . . beai ..live berries? Jas. ill. 12. 
Thou HI nst not >a\ I did it : never shake 
Thy fior.v l.,eks ut me. ,s7.t-.. .Macbeth, iii. 4. 
783 
Thy love doth plead so prettily to stay. 
That, trust me, I could weep to part with thee. 
Beau, and A'/., I'hUutcr, 11. 1. 
What can we suppose this will come to? 
Milton, Reformation In Eng., Ii. 
It is a contradiction to Imagine that niuui].teiice eon 
I" that, which, If it could be done, would render all 
power insignificant. Titlotton, Works, II. xclx. 
All that Adam had, all that Omar could, you have and 
con do. Emerton, Nature. 
[Formerly used also In the Infinitive. 
He feiuneth him to eonne arede 
Of tiling which afterward shuld falle. 
Gcmvr, Conf. Amaiit., II. 168. 
I shall not conne answere. Chaucer.] 
2. May: noting merely permission: as, you can 
have it if you wish: can I speak to you a mo- 
ment? [Chiefly colloq.] can but cannot but. 
See dull, conj. 
can 1 (kan), n. [< can*, r.] Knowledge; skill; 
ability. [Scotch.] 
can 2 (kan), . [< ME. canne. < AS. canne (trans- 
lating L. "crater vel cann ') = D. kan, a pot, 
mug, = OHG. channa, MHG. G. kanne, a can, 
tankard, mug, = Icel. kanna = Sw. kanna = 
Dan. kande, a can, tankard, mug, also measure, 
> ML. ciuiiiii, i-niiii, a vessel or measure for 
liquids, > OF. canne, cane, F. dim. canette, a 
jug. By some the Teut. forms are derived from 
L. canwa, a reed, cane: see cane 1 .'] 1. A ves- 
sel of small or moderate size and made of any 
material, but now generally of sheet-metal, 
such as tin, and used as a drinking-cup or to 
contain liquids, preserves, etc. Cans are generally 
cylindrical in form, as drinking- and preserving-cans; but 
in some cases they are square or conical, and are some- 
times provided with a handle and spout, as oil-cans for 
lubricating purposes, watering-cans, etc. 
There weren sett slxe stonuncannc*. Wyclif, John 11. 6. 
I hate it as an unfilled can. Shot., T. N., ii. 3. 
Fill the cup, and fill the can. 
Tennyson, Vision of Sin, iv. 
2. A measure of liquids in the Shetland islands, 
containing about an English gallon. .Tamieson. 
3. The revolving cylindrical holder into 
which the sliver falls from a carding-machine. 
Cup and can. see cui>. 
can 2 (kan), v. t. ; pret. and pp. canned, ppr. ean- 
ning. [< can 2 , n.] To put into a can; espe- 
cially, to put into sealed metal cans or glass 
jars, for preservation, as prepared vegetables, 
fruits, and meats. 
can 3 t (kan). A frequent Middle English cor- 
ruption of gan, began, preterit of ginnen, begin 
(see gin 1 ) : often equivalent, with the infinitive 
of a principal verb, to the preterit of that verb. 
Allace ! Aurora, the syllie Larke cnn cry. 
Sir D. Lyndsay, Prol. to Dreme. 
With gentle wordes he can her fayrely greet. 
Spenser, F. Q., I. iv. 46. 
So can he turne his earnest unto game. 
Spenser, F. Q., II. i. 31. 
Can 4 (kan), . [E. Ind.] The catty or pound 
of Cochin China, equal to 1 pound 6 ounces 
avoirdupois. 
cana (ka'na). n. [Sp. ; cf. cana, a cane, reed: 
see caf i.] A measure of length used through- 
out Spain, and varying from 1.7 yards at Barce- 
lona to 2.3 in Aragon. 
Canaanite (ka'nan-it), n. [< Canaan + -tfe 2 .] 
1. A descendant of Canaan, son of Ham (Gen. 
x. 15-19) ; more generally, one of the primitive 
inhabitants of the land of Canaan, named from 
him, lying between the Jordan and the Medi- 
terranean, and included in modern Palestine. 
The Canaanites proper (Uen. xvi. 21, etc.) were one of a 
number of tribes to which the name was collectively ap- 
plied, severally governed by so-called kings, and which 
were conquered by the Israelites after a prolonged strug- 
gle. 
2. A title of one of the twelve apostles ("Si- 
mon the Canaanite," Mat. x. 4), called elsewhere 
(Luke vi. 15, Acts i. 13) Zelotes, that is, the 
zealot: it is a transliteration of an Aramaic 
word signifying zeal, or a zealot. 3. [/. c.] A 
variety of massive white pyroxene occurring in 
limestone at Canaan, Connecticut. 
Canaanitish (ka-nan-5'tish), a. [< Canaanite 
+ -is/i.] Of or pertaining to Canaan or the 
Canaanites. 
Shattered portions of the Canaanitith nations escaped. 
canabert, . [A var. of canevas (OF. canevas, 
i-iininra, etc.), canvas: see canivHt.] A linen 
cloth mentioned in the wardrobe accounts of 
Henry VII. l-'iiirliiilt. 
canabyt, An old spelling of eannjty. 
Canace (kan'a-se), n. [ML. (Von Reichenbach, 
1853), after Canace, Gr. Kavdiai, daughter of JEo- 
canal 
lus.] A ^eims of ^:illiii neei MIS liinls, of which the 
type is the Canada grouse or spruce-part riilgo, 
Canace ca- 
nadfimiH. n 
Is characterized 
by feathered 
tarsi, absence 
of a creit, a 
short tall of 10 
or 20 olitiue 
feathers, the ab- 
MM) ' l" ' n 
liarly length- 
the neck, and 
dark blended 
or conspicuous- 
ly variegated 
coloration. The 
s|>ccles are 
woodland and 
arlx>ricole, and 
are confined to 
North America. 
The most noU- 
ble specie*, af- 
ter the one 
named, Is the 
dusky grouse of 
the Rocky Mountains, C. obtcura. There are several other 
species or varieties. Also called Deiuiragaput. 
canaclet, conaclet, n. [ME.] A word of un- 
certain origin and meaning, found only in the 
following passages: 
The copcn nines of the canaeles that on the cuppe reres. 
Alliterative Poems (eA. MorrisX II. 1461. 
Clutering of eonacles that kesten tho bnrde*. 
Alliterative J'oemt (ed. Morris), 1L 1515. 
Canada (kan-ya'dft), n. [Sp., < ea*a, cane, reed, 
passage, tunnel: se cane and canon, canyon.'} A 
valley : the common name in Spain of rather 
narrow valleys, and especially of such as are 
walled in by precipitous slopes. This word was 
used by early Spanish writers on California (as Venegas) 
and occurs in the name of one well-known locality in that 
State, Canada de las Uvas. In general, however, all val- 
leys (excepting quite broad ones) and most defiles as well 
as deep and well-marked ravines or gorges, are through- 
out the Cordilleran region of the United States called 
canons. See caflrm. 
Canada (ka-na'dft), n. [Pg.] A Portuguese 
liquid measure. It Is equal in Lisbon to 1.47 United 
Canada Crotuc ( Canatr catiuinvto). 
States quart*, 1.23 English quart*, or 1.396 liters. In Oporto 
to 2.23 United States quarts or 2.114 liters, In Klo to 2.81 
liters, In Bahia to 7.25 United States quart*, and In Ceylon 
to l.fiO United States quarts. Also canufa. 
Canada balsam, rice, etc. See the nouns. 
Canadian (ka-na'di-an), a. and n. [< Canada + 
-iaw.] I. a." Pertaining to Canada, a British 
possession in America north of the United 
States. The Dominion of Canada includes all of British 
America except Newfoundland-, but the name Canada is 
also re*tricted so as to Include only the provinces of On- 
tario and Quebec (formerly Upper and Lower Canada, or 
Canada West and East). Canadian embroidery, a name 
given to a kind of embroidery made with small pieces of 
fur, of the skins of reptiles, and the like, applied to the 
surface of the stuff, and combined with needlework done 
with porcupine-quills split so fine that they arc flexible, 
and dyed in various colors. Diet, of Xeedlneork. 
H. n. A native or an inhabitant of Canada. 
canaigre (ka-na'ger), n. In Texas, a species 
of dock, II a mi. r In/mi nosf /Kiln.-, the root of which 
is used in tanning. 
canaille (ka-nal'), n. [< F. canaillf, < It. cana- 
glia (= 8p. canalla = Pg. canalha), rabble, prop, 
and orig. a pack of dogs, < cane = Pg. ctto = 8p. 
can (obs.) = F. chien, < L. eanis, a dog: see Ca- 
nis, and cf. kenneft, a doublet of canaille.'] 1. 
The lowest orders of the people collectively; 
the rabble ; the vulgar. 
To keep the sovereign canaille from Intruding on the 
retirement of the poor king of the French. Burkr. 
2. Originally, a mixture of the coarser particles 
of flour and fine bran or shorts for feed ; now 
occasionally used for the grade known as "fine 
feed" or " finished middlings." Also spelled ca- 
nail, canal, and canell. 
canakin (kan'a-kin), n. Same as mniiikin, 1. 
canal 1 (ka-nal''), n. [= D. kanaal = G. Dan. 
Sw. kanal, < F. canal = Pr. Sp. Pg. canal = It. 
canale, < L. canalis, a channel, trench, pipe, ca- 
nal; cf. Skt. / l.iniii. dig. See cliiiniirli and 
kenneft, doublets of canal 1 .] 1. An artificial 
waterway for irrigation or navigation, canals 
appear to nave been first used for conveying water, and 
were merely shallow ditches with a slight fall. They 
naturally became, when large enough, a roadway for ItoaU. 
Mini eventually for ships. A canal may be a mere cutting 
to unite bodies of water for the passage of boat*, a* in 
some of the chains of lakes in the eastern United SUtes : 
or a continuous waterway formed by a series of long level* 
united by locks and carried over river* and valleys by 
means of bridge*, a* the Erie canal ; or a canalized river; 
or a navigable passage connecting lake* or sew, as the 
Wetland canal in Canada, or the Suez canal. Among the 
longest canals are the improved Ganges river In India, 522 
miles long, the (irand canal in China, about 800 miles, and 
ih. I'.ne . IIIL.I iii \. York, 363 mile*. The James and 
Kanawha Rivers Navigation canal, 147 miles long, over- 
