can opener
noun
a manual device or small electric appliance for opening cans.
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can opener
Americannoun
-
can openers
plural
can-opener
British
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of can opener
First recorded in 1865–70
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.
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Corrections & Amplifications An earlier version of this article incorrectly said Ally Walsh doesn’t have a can opener.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
For the home cooks: OXO is best known for revolutionizing the salad spinner, but it has also redesigned the garlic press, the can opener, the vegetable peeler … the list goes on.
From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026
Traynor’s can opener, adorned with earth-toned stones, will brighten up your kitchen and turn a low-key night of home cooking into a unique and surprisingly delightful experience.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2025
All you need is a can opener, a blender or food processor — and some popsicle molds, of course.
From Salon ● Jul. 1, 2023
I had a can—surely I had a can opener?
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
The can-opener now is access to locked doors of knowledge and services.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2025
After their not very meet-cute can-opener moment, the next significant interaction between Dave and Fern comes at a bar when he asks her to dance, tripping over his words a little.
From Slate ● Apr. 24, 2021
Still, at least the thing exists — in a weird quirk of history, the can-opener wasn’t invented until 1870, a lengthy 48 years after the can itself.
From Time ● Jun. 15, 2016
As you approach Vitamix’s headquarters, the first thing you see is a log cabin that housed the company after it was founded in 1921 by a traveling can-opener salesman named William Grover “Papa” Barnard.
From BusinessWeek ● Dec. 19, 2013
If you've made up your mind not to talk a man couldn't get anything out of you with a can-opener.
From The Million Dollar Mystery Novelized from the Scenario of F. Lonergan by Harold MacGrath
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