cannot
[ kan-ot, ka-not, kuh- ]
/ ˈkæn ɒt, kæˈnɒt, kə- /
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verb
a form of can not.
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On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.
Idioms for cannot
cannot but, have no alternative but to: We cannot but choose otherwise.
Origin of cannot
A Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400
usage note for cannot
Cannot is sometimes also spelled can not. The one-word spelling is by far the more common: Interest rates simply cannot continue at their present level. The contraction can't is most common in speech and informal writing.
Words nearby cannot
cannon bone, cannoneer, cannon fodder, cannonry, Cannon's ring, cannot, cannula, cannular, cannulate, cannulation, canny
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for cannot
British Dictionary definitions for cannot
cannot
/ (ˈkænɒt, kæˈnɒt) /
verb
an auxiliary verb expressing incapacity, inability, withholding permission, etc; can not
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
Idioms and Phrases with cannot
cannot
see under can't.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.