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awning

American  
[aw-ning] / ˈɔ nɪŋ /

noun

  1. a rooflike shelter of canvas or other material extending over a doorway, from the top of a window, over a deck, etc., in order to provide protection, as from the sun.

  2. a shelter.


awning British  
/ ˈɔːnɪŋ /

noun

  1. a roof of canvas or other material supported by a frame to provide protection from the weather, esp one placed over a doorway or part of a deck of a ship

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of awning

First recorded in 1615–25; origin uncertain

Explanation

An awning is a covering that's like a roof or extends from a roof. If you walk down a street with a lot of stores and it starts raining, you'll probably try to stay under the awnings. An awning provides shelter from rain and sun. You will often see awnings extending over the entryways of businesses. Under an awning is a place you can hang out as you collapse your umbrella on your way in, or as you open your umbrella on your way out. Awnings are often made from some type of canvas, and they protrude from the top of the store or building, kind of like the brim of a cap, which has a similar function.

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Vocabulary lists containing awning

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“Genuine ‘Bull’ Durham” tobacco “Shirts - Made to Measure” “Luxus - Liquid Sunshine - Beer You Like” Others tell what you’ll find in the building they adorn: “Omaha Tent & Awning Co.”

From Washington Times • Dec. 19, 2015

The undulating, interlocking, sometimes spiky and always flat shapes in "Lattice and Awning" incorporate bare hints of the built environment in the vicinity of the artist's Long Island studio.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 19, 2014

Larry Buck, chief executive of Victory Awning in Fort Worth, Texas, says BP owes him about $400,000 for boom it placed purchase orders for but refused to accept.

From The Wall Street Journal • Aug. 11, 2010

Photo: Erik Johnson Article: Robert Martin Awning Windows An awning window lets in lots of fresh air and light.

From Southern Living • Mar. 25, 2010

Awning, awn′ing, n. a covering to shelter from the sun's rays.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various