canton
noun
a small territorial district, especially one of the states of the Swiss confederation.
canton
1 American
[kan-tn, -ton, kan-ton, kan-ton, -tohn, -toon]
/ ˈkæn tn, -tɒn, kænˈtɒn, kænˈtɒn, -ˈtoʊn, -ˈtun /
noun
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cantons
plural
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a small territorial district, especially one of the states of the Swiss confederation.
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(in a department of France) a division of an arrondissement.
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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.
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Architecture. a pilaster or similar feature projecting from the corner of a building.
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Obsolete. a division, part, or portion of anything.
verb (used with object)
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to divide into parts or portions.
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to divide into cantons or territorial districts.
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to allot quarters to (soldiers, troops, etc.).
Canton
2
American
[kan-ton, kan-ton, kan-tn]
/ kænˈtɒn, ˈkæn tɒn, ˈkæn tn /
noun
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(Older Spelling) Kwangchow. (Wade-Giles) Kuangchou. (Pinyin) Guangzhou. Older Spelling. a seaport in and the capital of Guangdong province, in southeastern China, on the Zhu Jiang.
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a city in northeastern Ohio: location of the football Hall of Fame.
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a city in eastern Massachusetts.
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a city in western central Illinois.
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a town in central Mississippi.
canton
1
British
noun
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any of the 23 political divisions of Switzerland
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a subdivision of a French arrondissement
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heraldry a small square or oblong charge on a shield, usually in the top left corner
verb
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(tr) to divide into cantons
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(esp formerly) to allocate accommodation to (military personnel)
Canton
2
British
noun
-
Chinese names: Guangzhou, Kwangchow. 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)
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a city in the US, in NE Ohio. Pop: 80 806 (2000)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of canton
1525–35; < Middle French < Old Provençal, derivative of can side, edge ( see cant 2)
Vocabulary lists containing canton
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Unable to find a reasonably priced house after a two-year search, the 62-year-old moved with his wife to the neighboring canton of Aargau around nine years ago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
Crans-Montana is in Switzerland's southwestern Wallis canton and the hearings are taking place in the cantonal capital Sion.
From Barron's ● Apr. 8, 2026
Nidwalden canton police said the woman was alone in the Titlis Xpress ski gondola when it detached from the cable.
From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026
Their research focused on Gossau Upper Secondary School in the northeastern canton of St. Gallen, which introduced flexible school hours three years ago.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 11, 2026
They only rid the canton of its few half-wild dogs.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
That would have been the year Donald would be eligible as a certain first-ballot inductee in Canton, Ohio.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
That insanity comes when Ron delivers a big presentation announcing the development of a mall in Canton, Ohio.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Carrying his takings of £500, he then headed home to Anstee Court in the Canton area of the city.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
A short drive away, manufacturers are welcoming buyers from around the world in the cavernous halls of the Canton Fair.
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026
Octavia’s in Canton, twenty minutes north up by Miss Celia.
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
For it to pass, it would need to win not just a majority of votes cast but also majorities in more than half of Switzerland's 26 cantons.
From Barron's ● Jun. 14, 2026
It’s levied annually by individual cantons on all residents, at rates reaching up to about 1% of net worth, after deductions and exclusions for certain categories of assets.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 8, 2026
More than 30 specialists drawn from several Swiss cantons are involved in the process of identifying victims, Swiss officials said Friday at a press conference.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026
The initiative also secured the required double-majority: getting the popular vote, and also majorities in most of the country's 26 cantons.
From BBC ● Mar. 3, 2024
There is no central district from which these numerous and for the most part secluded mountain cantons can be brought into unity and governed.
From The History of Antiquity, Vol. I (of VI) by Max Duncker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
