canterbury

¹ American  

[kan-ter-ber-ee, -buh-ree] / ˈkæn tərˌbɛr i, -bə ri /

noun

plural

canterburies

1. a stand having sections for holding magazines, sheet music, or loose papers.

2. a supper tray with partitions for cutlery and plates.

---

Canterbury ² American  

[kan-ter-ber-ee, -buh-ree, -bree] / ˈkæn tərˌbɛr i, -bə ri, -bri /

noun

1. a city in E Kent, in SE England: cathedral; early ecclesiastical center of England.

2. a municipality in E New South Wales, in SE Australia: a part of Sydney.

---

Canterbury ¹ British  

/ ˈkæntəbərɪ, -brɪ /

noun

1. Latin name: Durovernum.  a city in SE England, in E Kent: starting point for St Augustine's mission to England (597 _ad ); cathedral where St Thomas à Becket was martyred (1170); seat of the archbishop and primate of England; seat of the University of Kent (1965). Pop: 43 552 (2001)

2. a regional council area of New Zealand, on E central South Island on Canterbury Bight : mountainous with coastal lowlands; agricultural. Chief town: Christchurch. Pop: 520 500 (2004 est). Area: 43 371 sq km (16 742 sq miles)

---

canterbury ² British  

/ -brɪ, ˈkæntəbərɪ /

noun

1. a late 18th-century low wooden stand with partitions for holding cutlery and plates: often mounted on casters

2. a similar 19th-century stand used for holding sheet music, music books, or magazines

---

Other Word Forms

• Canterburian adjective

Etymology

Origin of canterbury

1840–50; after Canterbury, England

Example Sentences

“This year, the flowers that are blooming include canterbury and school bells, arroyo lupine, and California poppy,” the parks department said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2023

Yet his finest work was full of ironical laughter; a "canterbury tale," in medieval slang, was a lie.

From Time Magazine Archive

Mr. Hand paused between the beds of sweet williams and canterbury bells.

From The Raid from Beausejour; and How the Carter Boys Lifted the Mortgage by Roberts, Charles George Douglas, Sir

Wax-lights shine in tall, old-fashioned silver candlesticks on the mantelpiece, and on the centre table, and on a pianoforte, beside which stands a canterbury full of music-books.

From A Charming Fellow, Volume I (of 3) by Trollope, Frances Eleanor

Biennials, like the foxglove and canterbury bells, are of course, the difficult children of the garden, because you have to plan not only for next year but for the year after.

From More Jonathan Papers by Morris, Elisabeth Woodbridge