canopy

American  

[kan-uh-pee] / ˈkæn ə pi /

noun

canopies plural

1. a covering, usually of fabric, supported on poles or suspended above a bed, throne, exalted personage, or sacred object.

2. an overhanging projection or covering, as a long canvas awning stretching from the doorway of a building to a curb.

3. an ornamental, rooflike projection or covering.

4. Also called crown cover.  Also called crown canopy;.  the cover formed by the leafy upper branches of the trees in a forest.

5. the sky.

6. the part of a parachute that opens up and fills with air, usually made of nylon or silk.

7. the transparent cover over the cockpit of an airplane.

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verb (used with object)

canopied, canopying

1. to cover with or as with a canopy.

   Branches canopied the road.

canopy British  

/ ˈkænəpɪ /

noun

1. an ornamental awning above a throne or bed or held over a person of importance on ceremonial occasions

2. a rooflike covering over an altar, niche, etc

3. a roofed structure serving as a sheltered passageway or area

4. a large or wide covering, esp one high above

   the sky was a grey canopy

5. the nylon or silk hemisphere that forms the supporting surface of a parachute

6. the transparent cover of an aircraft cockpit

7. the highest level of branches and foliage in a forest, formed by the crowns of the trees

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verb

1. (tr) to cover with or as if with a canopy

Other Word Forms

• supercanopy
  noun
• uncanopied
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of canopy

1350–1400; Middle English canope < Medieval Latin canōpēum, variant of Latin cōnōpēum mosquito net < Greek kōnōpeîon bed with net to keep gnats off, equivalent to kṓnōp ( s ) gnat + -eion, neuter of -eios adj. suffix

Explanation

A canopy is a roof-like covering for a bed, made of fabric. A lot of little girls dream of having a four-poster bed with a ruffled canopy. Any fabric cover that acts as a roof can be called a canopy, and so can something resembling such a covering, like a canopy of leaves created by trees. The Greek word that's at the root of canopy is konopeion, which means "Egyptian couch with mosquito curtains." The Old French conope, which evolved into today's canopy, originally meant "bed-curtain."

Example Sentences

Since the railway station canopy collapse in November 2024, which killed 16 people, calls for a transparent investigation into what happened have snowballed into a push for early polls.

From Barron's • May 23, 2026

“Greeted with grace, the residence welcomes you with gated tree lined canopy entry set back nicely from the street,” the description continues.

From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026

Xi then walked down the line of American officials to shake their hands before he and Trump stood under a red-and-yellow canopy for a rendition of both countries’ national anthems.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

“Forest defenders” camped out high in the canopy and blocked logging equipment with their bodies.

From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026

Galya grabbed the emergency canopy release and the top of the cockpit “flew off instantly, like a piece of paper.”

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein