canning

[kan-ing]

See more synonyms for canning on Thesaurus.com

noun

the act, process, or business of preserving cooked food by sealing in cans or jars.

Origin of canning

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75; can² + -ing¹

Related formspre·can·ning, noun, adjective

Canning

[kan-ing]

noun

Charles John, 1st Earl,1812–62, British statesman: governor general of India 1856–62.
his fatherGeorge,1770–1827, British statesman: prime minister 1827.
Sir Stratford. Stratford de Redcliffe, 1st Viscount.

can

[kan; unstressed kuh n]

auxiliary verb, present singular 1st person can, 2nd can or (Archaic) canst, 3rd can, present plural can; past singular 1st person could, 2nd could or (Archaic) couldst, 3rd could, past plural could.

to be able to; have the ability, power, or skill to: She can solve the problem easily, I'm sure.
to know how to: He can play chess, although he's not particularly good at it.
to have the power or means to: A dictator can impose his will on the people.
to have the right or qualifications to: He can change whatever he wishes in the script.
may; have permission to: Can I speak to you for a moment?
to have the possibility: A coin can land on either side.

verb (used with or without object), present singular 1st person can, 2nd can or (Archaic) canst, 3rd can, present plural can; past singular 1st person could, 2nd could or (Archaic) couldst, 3rd could, past plural could; imperative can; infinitive can; past participle could; present participle cun·ning.

Obsolete. to know.

Origin of can

before 900; Middle English, Old English, present indicative singular 1st, 3rd person of cunnan to know, know how; cognate with German, Old Norse, Gothic kann; see ken, know¹

Can be confusedcan may shall will (see usage note at the current entry) (see usage note at shall)

Usage note

Can1 and may1 are frequently but not always interchangeable in senses indicating possibility: A power failure can (or may ) occur at any time. Despite the insistence by some, that can means only “to be able” and may means “to be permitted,” both are regularly used in seeking or granting permission: Can (or May ) I borrow your tape recorder? You can (or may ) use it tomorrow. Sentences using can occur chiefly in spoken English. May in this sense occurs more frequently in formal contexts: May I address the court, Your Honor? In negative constructions, can't or cannot is more common than may not : You can't have it today. I need it myself. The contraction mayn't is rare.
Can but and cannot but are formal and now somewhat old-fashioned expressions suggesting that there is no possible alternative to doing something. Can but is equivalent to can only : We can but do our best. Cannot but is the equivalent of cannot help but : We cannot but protest against these injustices. See also cannot, help.

can

[kan]

noun

a sealed container for food, beverages, etc., as of aluminum, sheet iron coated with tin, or other metal: a can of soup.
a receptacle for garbage, ashes, etc.: a trash can.
a bucket, pail, or other container for holding or carrying liquids: water can.
a drinking cup; tankard.
a metal or plastic container for holding film on cores or reels.
Slang: Usually Vulgar. toilet; bathroom.
Slang. jail: He's been in the can for a week.
Slang: Sometimes Vulgar. buttocks.
cans, Slang. a set of headphones designed to cover the ears. Compare earbuds.
Military Slang.
1. a depth charge.
2. a destroyer.

verb (used with object), canned, can·ning.

to preserve by sealing in a can, jar, etc.
Slang. to dismiss; fire.
Slang. to throw (something) away.
Slang. to put a stop to: Can that noise!
to record, as on film or tape.

Idioms

carry the can, British and Canadian Slang. to take the responsibility.
in the can, recorded on film; completed: The movie is in the can and ready for release.

Origin of can

before 1000; Middle English, Old English canne, cognate with German Kanne, Old Norse kanna, all perhaps < West Germanic; compare Late Latin canna small vessel

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for canning

keeping, tinning, storing

Examples from the Web for canning

Contemporary Examples of canning

You can get anything into prison with a canning machine and a labeler.
This Anti-Heroin Drug Is Now King of the Jailhouse Drug Trade
Daniel Genis
July 17, 2014
In Canning he found, or rather projected, “a genius, almost a universal one, an orator, a wit, a poet, a statesman.”
Poet and Rake, Lord Byron Was Also an Interventionist With Brains and Savvy
Michael Weiss
February 16, 2014
The Canning case does not represent a constitutional crisis.
Obama Will Lose Recess Appointment Case, but Will Other Presidents Lose Their Power?
Andrew Cohen
January 14, 2014
Twenty-five years later, of course, canning Jobs seems like obvious folly.
Regrets From the Man Who Fired Steve Jobs
Thomas E. Weber
June 6, 2010
But if I had been doing something unauthorized, that would have given people grounds for canning me.
Two Bushes, Two Wars
Warren Hoge
May 5, 2009

Historical Examples of canning

Get it ready for canning by husking it and removing the silk.
Woman's Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 5
Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences
Proceed with the remainder of the process as in canning peaches.
Woman's Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 5
Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences
"Be careful not to hurt it," said Canning Forbes, sarcastically.
Harper's Young People, October 19, 1880
Various
Any edible mushroom can easily be kept for winter use by canning.
The Mushroom, Edible and Otherwise
M. E. Hard
Brumsey's last despatch is the finest state-paper since the days of Canning!'
Lord Kilgobbin
Charles Lever

British Dictionary definitions for canning

canning

noun

the process or business of sealing food in cans or tins to preserve it

Canning

noun

Charles John, 1st Earl Canning. 1812–62, British statesman; governor general of India (1856–58) and first viceroy (1858–62)
his father, George. 1770–1827, British Tory statesman; foreign secretary (1822–27) and prime minister (1827)

can

verb past could (takes an infinitive without to or an implied infinitive) (intr)

used as an auxiliary to indicate ability, skill, or fitness to perform a taskI can run a mile in under four minutes
used as an auxiliary to indicate permission or the right to somethingcan I have a drink?
used as an auxiliary to indicate knowledge of how to do somethinghe can speak three languages fluently
used as an auxiliary to indicate the possibility, opportunity, or likelihoodmy trainer says I can win the race if I really work hard

Word Origin for can

Old English cunnan; related to Old Norse kunna, Old High German kunnan, Latin cognōscere to know, Sanskrit jānāti he knows; see ken, uncouth

xref

See may 1

can

noun

a container, esp for liquids, usually of thin sheet metala petrol can; beer can
another name (esp US) for tin (def. 2)
Also called: canful the contents of a can or the amount a can will hold
a slang word for prison
US and Canadian a slang word for toilet or buttocksSee toilet
US navy a slang word for destroyer
navy slang a depth charge
a shallow cylindrical metal container of varying size used for storing and handling film
can of worms informal a complicated problem
carry the can See carry (def. 37)
in the can
1. (of a film, piece of music, etc) having been recorded, processed, edited, etc
2. informalarranged or agreedthe contract is almost in the can

verb cans, canning or canned

to put (food, etc) into a can or cans; preserve in a can
(tr) US slang to dismiss from a job
(tr) US informal to stop (doing something annoying or making an annoying noise) (esp in the phrase can it!)
(tr) informal to reject or discard

Word Origin for can

Old English canne; related to Old Norse, Old High German kanna, Irish gann, Swedish kana sled

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

Word Origin and History for canning

can

v.2

"to put up in cans," 1860, from can (n.1). Sense of "to fire an employee" is from 1905. Related: Canned; canning.

can

v.1

Old English 1st & 3rd person singular present indicative of cunnan "know, have power to, be able," (also "to have carnal knowledge"), from Proto-Germanic *kunnan "to be mentally able, to have learned" (cf. Old Norse kenna "to know, make known," Old Frisian kanna "to recognize, admit," German kennen "to know," Gothic kannjan "to make known"), from PIE root *gno- (see know).

Absorbing the third sense of "to know," that of "to know how to do something" (in addition to "to know as a fact" and "to be acquainted with" something or someone). An Old English preterite-present verb, its original past participle, couth, survived only in its negation (see uncouth), but cf. could. The present participle has spun off as cunning.

can

Old English canne "a cup, container," from Proto-Germanic *kanna (cf. Old Saxon, Old Norse, Swedish kanna, Middle Dutch kanne, Dutch kan, Old High German channa, German Kanne). Probably an early borrowing from Late Latin canna "container, vessel," from Latin canna "reed," also "reed pipe, small boat;" but the sense evolution is difficult.

Modern "air-tight vessel of tinned iron" is from 1867 (can-opener is from 1877). Slang meaning "toilet" is c.1900, said to be a shortening of piss-can. Meaning "buttocks" is from c.1910.

Idioms and Phrases with canning

can

In addition to the idioms beginning with can

can do with
canned laughter
can of worms

also see:

as best one can
before you can say Jack Robinson
bite off more than one can chew
carry the can
catch as catch can
game that two can play
get the ax (can)
in the can
more than one can shake a stick at
no can do
you can bet your ass
you can lead a horse to water
you can say that again
you never can tell

Also see undercan't.