awning
Americannoun
-
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.
-
a shelter.
noun
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.
Vocabulary lists containing awning
The First Rule of Punk
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From the Desk of Zoe Washington
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The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora
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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.
Under one straw awning, Noureldin leaned on a crutch, still weak from his injuries.
From Barron's • Mar. 22, 2026
And because the gas pump wasn’t covered by an overhead awning, he was also soaking wet.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 3, 2026
Renderings of the structure, which is situated in Symphony Park, show a cubed modernist building with a large awning that stretches over a bustling entry plaza to provide shade.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2025
“There were over 10 bags. That was the second time that we’ve had to do a full sweep of the awning … I just worry about, what if it does escalate in the future?”
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 16, 2025
I reached into my new Coach purse—a recent gift from Mom—to find a few dollars for him, but Mom yanked my hand away and tugged me under the restaurant awning.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
