canopy

American  

[kan-uh-pee] / ˈkæn ə pi /

noun

plural

canopies

1. a covering, usually of fabric, supported on poles or suspended above a bed, throne, exalted personage, or sacred object.

2. an overhanging projection or covering, as a long canvas awning stretching from the doorway of a building to a curb.

3. an ornamental, rooflike projection or covering.

4. Also called crown cover.  Also called crown canopy;.  the cover formed by the leafy upper branches of the trees in a forest.

5. the sky.

6. the part of a parachute that opens up and fills with air, usually made of nylon or silk.

7. the transparent cover over the cockpit of an airplane.

---

verb (used with object)

canopied, canopying

1. to cover with or as with a canopy.

   Branches canopied the road.

canopy British  

/ ˈkænəpɪ /

noun

1. an ornamental awning above a throne or bed or held over a person of importance on ceremonial occasions

2. a rooflike covering over an altar, niche, etc

3. a roofed structure serving as a sheltered passageway or area

4. a large or wide covering, esp one high above

   the sky was a grey canopy

5. the nylon or silk hemisphere that forms the supporting surface of a parachute

6. the transparent cover of an aircraft cockpit

7. the highest level of branches and foliage in a forest, formed by the crowns of the trees

---

verb

1. (tr) to cover with or as if with a canopy

Other Word Forms

• supercanopy noun
• uncanopied adjective

Etymology

Origin of canopy

1350–1400; Middle English canope < Medieval Latin canōpēum, variant of Latin cōnōpēum mosquito net < Greek kōnōpeîon bed with net to keep gnats off, equivalent to kṓnōp ( s ) gnat + -eion, neuter of -eios adj. suffix

Example Sentences

The yard also boasts an edible garden as well as a canopy of trees to provide natural shade on hot days.

From MarketWatch

Julia “Butterfly” Hill — whose ethereal, barefoot portraits high in the redwood canopy became a symbol of the Redwood Summer — spent two years living in a thousand-year-old tree, named Luna, to keep it from being felled.

From Los Angeles Times

So far, three investigations have been launched into the fatal canopy collapse, but only one has resulted in an indictment confirmed by a court.

From Barron's

A canopy of Jeffrey pine, red fir and incense cedar shaded the trail.

From Los Angeles Times

A Serbian court dropped charges Wednesday against a former construction minister over the Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse that killed 16 people, citing a lack of evidence.

From Barron's