can opener
noun
a manual device or small electric appliance for opening cans.
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can opener
Americannoun
can-opener
British
noun
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.
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
Page count-wise, it looks less like "War and Peace" and more like a user manual for a can opener.
From Salon • Mar. 28, 2024
His AK-47 is slung over his shoulder; on his body armour hangs a spoon, a can opener, and a small pair of pliers.
From BBC • Mar. 23, 2023
When I used to volunteer at food banks, when someone came in who was unhoused, we would pick out foods that were nonperishable, didn’t have to be cooked, and didn’t require a can opener.
From Seattle Times • May 9, 2022
All remaining cans of food and a can opener, two forks.
From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer
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.
