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.

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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

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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

Explanation

A canopy is a roof-like covering for a bed, made of fabric. A lot of little girls dream of having a four-poster bed with a ruffled canopy. Any fabric cover that acts as a roof can be called a canopy, and so can something resembling such a covering, like a canopy of leaves created by trees. The Greek word that's at the root of canopy is konopeion, which means "Egyptian couch with mosquito curtains." The Old French conope, which evolved into today's canopy, originally meant "bed-curtain."

Example Sentences

“The canopy is meant to be a welcoming element, with no walls, so that all are welcome, and all feel safe,” said Belzberg, who founded Belzberg Architects in 1997.

From Los Angeles Times • May 4, 2026

Its leaves and bark have been used in traditional medicine, its canopy provides shade in exposed environments and its resilience allows it to thrive where other plants struggle.

From BBC • May 2, 2026

The trees were shorter than they used to be, with less canopy, packed tighter than ever, but they were showing promise.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

When exploring the watersheds east of Cuzco, Peru, he writes, Miller was “overawed by the tropical forest canopy stretching to infinity before him.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

He and Elwood carried Akira and her father up into a tall canopy of Ponderosa pines, where bearclover and white alder grew among granite boulders.

From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz