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can opener

American

noun

a manual device or small electric appliance for opening cans.

can-opener British

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

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.

One character, for reasons you’ll observe, wordlessly switches from soup cans that require them to use a can opener to ones with a pull tab.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 7, 2025

Pack protein bars, dried meats such as chicken jerky, dried fruits, nuts and canned goods with a manual can opener.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 4, 2024

All you need is a can opener, a blender or food processor — and some popsicle molds, of course.

From Salon • Jul. 1, 2023

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

I had a can—surely I had a can opener?

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023