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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

• awninged adjective

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.

Example Sentences

In Naypyidaw, the collapsed concrete awning of the main hospital's emergency department -- which crushed a car when it came down -- has been replaced with a new, lighter structure, with a plastic roof.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

Under one straw awning, Noureldin leaned on a crutch, still weak from his injuries.

From Barron's • Mar. 22, 2026

A black-and-white awning over the steps that lead to our front door, for rain and sun protection.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

Or, to the millions of punks who staggered under the entrance’s iconic awning: “CBGBs.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 2, 2025

This intersection Willem and I have chosen—this overhanging awning and this plaster cow—it's more than one kilometer from the Muiderpoort station.

From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse

Related Words

• covering
• tent