canterbury

¹ American  

[kan-ter-ber-ee, -buh-ree] / ˈkæn tərˌbɛr i, -bə ri /

noun

plural

canterburies

1. a stand having sections for holding magazines, sheet music, or loose papers.

2. a supper tray with partitions for cutlery and plates.

---

Canterbury ² American  

[kan-ter-ber-ee, -buh-ree, -bree] / ˈkæn tərˌbɛr i, -bə ri, -bri /

noun

1. a city in E Kent, in SE England: cathedral; early ecclesiastical center of England.

2. a municipality in E New South Wales, in SE Australia: a part of Sydney.

---

Canterbury ¹ British  

/ ˈkæntəbərɪ, -brɪ /

noun

1. Latin name: Durovernum.  a city in SE England, in E Kent: starting point for St Augustine's mission to England (597 _ad ); cathedral where St Thomas à Becket was martyred (1170); seat of the archbishop and primate of England; seat of the University of Kent (1965). Pop: 43 552 (2001)

2. a regional council area of New Zealand, on E central South Island on Canterbury Bight : mountainous with coastal lowlands; agricultural. Chief town: Christchurch. Pop: 520 500 (2004 est). Area: 43 371 sq km (16 742 sq miles)

---

canterbury ² British  

/ -brɪ, ˈkæntəbərɪ /

noun

1. a late 18th-century low wooden stand with partitions for holding cutlery and plates: often mounted on casters

2. a similar 19th-century stand used for holding sheet music, music books, or magazines

---

Other Word Forms

• Canterburian adjective

Etymology

Origin of canterbury

1840–50; after Canterbury, England

Example Sentences

“This year, the flowers that are blooming include canterbury and school bells, arroyo lupine, and California poppy,” the parks department said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2023

Yet his finest work was full of ironical laughter; a "canterbury tale," in medieval slang, was a lie.

From Time Magazine Archive

Edging of pinks and Shasta daisies, pink canterbury bells and Festiva Maxima peony.

From Trees, Fruits and Flowers of Minnesota, 1916 Embracing the Transactions of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society,Volume 44, from December 1, 1915, to December 1, 1916, Including the Twelve Numbers of "The Minnesota Horticulturist" for 1916 by Latham, A. W.

"That is a great clue, considering there are about a score covers here of rival dinginess," said Stephen, drawing out the canterbury.

From The Mill on the Floss by Eliot, George

The gladiolas, canterbury bells, gillie flowers and fox gloves grow as prim as in a conservative English garden.

From Vignettes of San Francisco by Bailey, Almira