canterbury

¹

[kan-ter-ber-ee, -buh-ree]

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

[kan-ter-ber-ee, -buh-ree, -bree]

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

/ 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

/ -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

Word History and Origins

Origin of Canterbury¹

1840–50; after Canterbury, England

Example Sentences

LONDON—Sarah Mullally was named as the next Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual head of the Anglican Church, on Friday, making her its first female leader in its nearly 500-year history.

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Unlike the pope, who has authority over the world’s Catholics, the Archbishop of Canterbury has no formal power over the world’s 42 Anglican communion member provinces.

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The Archbishop of Canterbury is expected to retire aged 70.

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José Sousa-Santos, head of the Pacific Regional Security Hub at New Zealand's University of Canterbury, says "a perfect storm is brewing".

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While they were clear that they were not breaking away from the Anglican Communion, they rejected the idea that "Anglican identity is determined necessarily through recognition by the Archbishop of Canterbury".

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