can opener

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noun

a manual device or small electric appliance for opening cans.

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Origin of can opener

First recorded in 1865–70

Words nearby can opener

canonry, Canonsburg, canonship, canons regular, canoodle, can opener, Canopic, canopic jar, Canopus, canopy, canorous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use can opener in a sentence

These supplies include veterinary records, pet food and a can opener, food and water bowls, and medications.
Prepare for hurricanes, wildfires, and other disasters with these expert tips|Brett Robertson/The Conversation|September 28, 2021|Popular-Science
This attack, coming just days after the PlayStation DDoS, was certainly an eye-opener.
The Attack on the Hidden Internet|Marc Rogers|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So it's really a take-what-you-can-get kind of situation with him.
‘Scandal’ Review: Olivia Pope Has Lost Her Damn Mind|Kevin Fallon|September 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At the Gramercy Theater, a woman dressed as Maude Lebowski looks fierce as Cover Me Badd, the musical opener, takes the stage.
Dudes and Maudes Abide at New York City Lebowski Fest|Rich Goldstein|August 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST

This prompts Sarah Lynn to stab herself with a Confederate bayonet letter-opener, causing a geyser of blood.
'BoJack Horseman': The Debauched Tales of a Drunken, Groupie-Sexing D-List Horse, Hits Netflix|Marlow Stern|August 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The shards of one can be used to cut someone (never mind the constant availability of soup-can tops).
Prisoners Get Cultural Fix with 8-Tracks and Bootleg Cassettes|Daniel Genis|August 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
From Bungay in Suffolk comes the news that a water-wagtail has built its nest in a milk-can.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 158, April 28, 1920|Various
Black Hood stepped to Carlson's desk, picked up an envelope and a letter opener, and returned to the body.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various
The boss was sitting back in his chair and making little rings on the desk blotter with the point of his letter-opener.
The Wreckers|Francis Lynde
When he waded past Captain Can-dage he heard the old skipper trying to comfort the girl, his voice low and broken by sobs.
Blow The Man Down|Holman Day
He kept his worms there, between his cap lining and his hair; it saved the trouble of a bait-can.
Thirty Years in Australia|Ada Cambridge

British Dictionary definitions for can opener

can-opener

noun

another name for tin-opener

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012