canopy

[kan-uh-pee]

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

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of canopy¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of canopy¹

C14: from Medieval Latin canōpeum mosquito net, from Latin cōnōpeum gauze net, from Greek kōnōpeion bed with protective net, from kōnōps mosquito

Example Sentences

The victims were standing or sitting underneath a concrete canopy at the recently-renovated facility, when it collapsed.

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Nearly every one of those caterpillars at some point drops from the tree canopy to overwinter or create a chrysalis.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

To enable robots to navigate fields and harvest efficiently, many farms would need to plant fruiting walls—apple trees that have been trained to grow in dense canopies against flat vertical surfaces.

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The ongoing joint project, which drew from urban tree canopy maps developed by study partners the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the U.S.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It consists of 365 stainless steel chimes, suspended from a circular canopy, each tuned to catch the wind and produce a soft harmony.

Read more on Los Angeles Times