canton

[kan-tn, -ton, kan-ton for 1–7; kan-ton, -tohn, or, esp. British, -toon for 8]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR canton ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a small territorial district, especially one of the states of the Swiss confederation.

(in a department of France) a division of an arrondissement.

Heraldry. a square area in the dexter chief, or right-hand corner, of an escutcheon, often distinctively treated: a diminutive of the dexter chief quarter.

Architecture. a pilaster or similar feature projecting from the corner of a building.

Obsolete. a division, part, or portion of anything.

verb (used with object)

to divide into parts or portions.

to divide into cantons or territorial districts.

to allot quarters to (soldiers, troops, etc.).

Origin of canton

1525–35; < Middle French < Old Provençal, derivative of can side, edge (see cant²)

Related formscan·ton·al, adjectivecan·ton·al·ism, nounun·can·toned, adjective

Canton

[kan-ton, kan-ton for 1; kan-tn for 2–5]

noun

Also called Kwangchow, Guangzhou, Kuangchou. Older Spelling. a seaport in and the capital of Guangdong province, in SE China, on the Zhu Jiang.

a city in NE Ohio: location of the football Hall of Fame.

a city in E Massachusetts.

a city in W central Illinois.

a town in central Mississippi.

Guangdong

[gwahng-dawng]

noun Pinyin.

a province in SE China. 89,344 sq. mi. (231,401 sq. km). Capital: Canton.

Also Kwangtung.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for canton

division, subdivision, billet, county, part, corner, quarter, section

Examples from the Web for canton

Contemporary Examples of canton

The Democrat's early voting edge in Stark means that they are confident of winning the cities of Canton, Massillon, and Alliance.
Nightmare Scenario—Ohio’s Provisional Ballots May Be 2012’s Hanging Chads
John Avlon
November 6, 2012
The memory of 1912, Carlisle, and Canton was as fresh as yesterday in that pre-television era.
The Most Wonderful Athlete in the World: Jim Thorpe’s Story
Kate Buford
August 5, 2012
In 1915 Thorpe started also playing and coaching the “reptile sport” of professional football in Canton, Ohio.
The Most Wonderful Athlete in the World: Jim Thorpe’s Story
Kate Buford
August 5, 2012
“I am totally undecided,” says Ryan Ayers, an independent voter who lives in Canton, Ohio and who voted for John McCain in 2008.
Independents Are Growing in Number and Drifting Away From Obama
Linda Killian
December 9, 2011
In an early 1990s, as a still-recent transplant to America, Huang drove from Tuscaloosa to Buffalo and passed Canton, Ohio.
The Legend of Charlie Chan
Paul Devlin
September 5, 2010

Historical Examples of canton

I now got my wages for the Canton voyage; but they lasted me only a fortnight!
Ned Myers
James Fenimore Cooper
On her arrival at Canton, I told the captain my views, and he allowed me to go.
Ned Myers
James Fenimore Cooper
We arrived at Canton in due time, and found our cargo ready for us.
Ned Myers
James Fenimore Cooper
The largest is that at Honan, the southern suburb of Canton.
Architecture
Thomas Roger Smith
In the Novouzensky canton, for example, they constituted 40 per cent.
England and Germany
Emile Joseph Dillon

British Dictionary definitions for canton

canton

noun (ˈkæntɒn, kænˈtɒn)

any of the 23 political divisions of Switzerland

a subdivision of a French arrondissement

(ˈkæntən) heraldry a small square or oblong charge on a shield, usually in the top left corner

verb

(kænˈtɒn) (tr) to divide into cantons

(kənˈtuːn) (esp formerly) to allocate accommodation to (military personnel)

Derived Formscantonal, adjective

Word Origin for canton

C16: from Old French: corner, division, from Italian cantone, from canto corner, from Latin canthus iron rim; see cant ²

Canton

noun

(kænˈtɒn) a port in SE China, capital of Guangdong province, on the Zhu Jiang (Pearl River): the first Chinese port open to European trade. Pop: 3 881 000 (2005 est)Chinese names: Guangzhou, Kwangchow

(ˈkæntən) a city in the US, in NE Ohio. Pop: 80 806 (2000)

Guangdong

Kwangtung

noun

a province of SE China, on the South China Sea: includes the Leizhou Peninsula, with densely populated river valleys; traditionally also including Macao and Hong Kong; the only true tropical climate in China. Capital: Canton. Pop: 79 540 000 (2003 est). Area: 197 100 sq km (76 100 sq miles)

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

Word Origin and History for canton

1530s, "corner, angle," from Middle French canton "piece, portion of a country" (13c.), from Italian (Lombard dialect) cantone "region," especially in the mountains, augmentative of Latin canto "section of a country," literally "corner" (see cant (n.2)). Originally in English a term in heraldry and flag descriptions; applied to the sovereign states of the Swiss republic from 1610s. Related: Cantoned.