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• canton
  canton

  noun

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

  noun

  a seaport in and the capital of Guangdong province, in southeastern China, on the Zhu Jiang.

canton

¹ American  

[kan-tn, -ton, kan-ton, kan-ton, -tohn, -toon] / ˈkæn tn, -tɒn, kænˈtɒn, kænˈtɒn, -ˈtoʊn, -ˈtun /

noun

• cantons
  plural

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

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

3. 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.

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

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

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verb (used with object)

1. to divide into parts or portions.

2. to divide into cantons or territorial districts.

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

Canton ² American  

[kan-ton, kan-ton, kan-tn] / kænˈtɒn, ˈkæn tɒn, ˈkæn tn /

noun

1. (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.

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

3. a city in eastern Massachusetts.

4. a city in western central Illinois.

5. a town in central Mississippi.

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canton ¹ British  

noun

1. any of the 23 political divisions of Switzerland

2. a subdivision of a French arrondissement

3. heraldry a small square or oblong charge on a shield, usually in the top left corner

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verb

1. (tr) to divide into cantons

2. (esp formerly) to allocate accommodation to (military personnel)

Canton ² British  

noun

1. 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)

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cantonalism
  noun
• cantonal
  adjective
• uncantoned
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cantons
  plural

Etymology

Origin of canton

1525–35; < Middle French < Old Provençal, derivative of can side, edge ( see cant ²)

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

canton Canton cantons

The canton of Geneva issues a permit for comfort cooling only to people who prove they need it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

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

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

"It's really horrible. It's a nightmare," said Shannon Bugnon, a 28-year-old retail worker from the neighbouring Vaud canton, home to many of the fire's victims.

From Barron's ● Feb. 1, 2026

The world’s oldest playable organ, in the basilica of Valere in the canton of Valais in Switzerland, was built some time between 1390 and 1435.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

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

In Canton, painters like Lam Qua headed ateliers devoted to Export art, adapting styles from expatriate artists such as George Chinnery to gain foreign clientele.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026

Similar signs of reversal have appeared in some other Midwest metros, including Dayton and Canton, in Ohio, and Racine, Wis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 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

Canton, which went down during the invasion of Okinawa.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson

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

While safety regulations are set by cantons, they need to be implemented by local authorities.

From BBC ● Jan. 7, 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

In Switzerland, among the population belonging to the cantons, there were for every 1,000 men, 1,038 women; among the foreign Swiss, 970; among foreigners, 650.

From Principles of Political Economy, Vol. II by Wilhelm Roscher