can

Fetched 2026-10-30 (live).

Datamuse reports no synonyms or antonyms for this word.

Symbol

1. ISO 639-3 language code for Chambri.

Verb

1. To know how to.
   • She can speak English, French, and German.
   • I can play football.
2. To be able to.
   • Can you remember your fifth birthday?
   • Animals can experience emotions.
   • Can you hear that?
   • I can feel the baby moving inside me.
3. May; to be permitted or enabled to.
   • You can go outside and play when you're finished with your homework.
   • Can I use your pen?
4. To have the potential to; to be possible for (someone or something) to.
   • Can it be Friday already?
   • You can not only learn English here, you can also practice with native speakers.
   • Teenagers can really try their parents' patience.
5. Used to form requests, typically polite.
   • Can you please come over here?
   • Can we try that scene again?
6. To know.
7. To be . third-person singular simple present indicative of can
8. To be able to or know how to (do something); an accompanying verb is not required if it is already inferable from context.
   • Can anot?
9. To be fine or acceptable; to be possible; (with liao or already) to be enough. Often used in conjunction with a variety of clause-final particles, e.g., lah, meh or one, to express different attitudes towards the subject matter.
   • Can liao, don’t need to use so much glue.

Interjection

1. OK, sure; indicates approval or acknowledgment.
2. Used to convey reassurance.

Particle

1. OK(?); used at the end of a question when seeking approval or acknowledgment.
   • I cut this wire, can?

Noun

1. A container or vessel, especially for liquids, usually made of metal.
   • I keep a can of fuel for emergencies.
   • Soup in a can lasts for years.
2. A sealed metal container, cylindrical or cuboid in form, typically used to store preserved foods.
   • Soup in a can lasts for years.
3. A container used to carry and dispense water for plants (a watering can).
4. A chamber pot. a toilet or lavatory.
   • :
   • :
   • Shit or get off the can.
   • Bob's in the can. You can wait a few minutes or just leave it with me.
5. a toilet or lavatory.
   • :
   • :
   • Shit or get off the can.
   • Bob's in the can. You can wait a few minutes or just leave it with me.
6. Buttocks.
7. The breasts of a woman.
8. Jail or prison.
   • Bob’s in the can. He won’t be back for a few years.
9. Headphones.
10. A drinking cup.
11. A cylindrical buoy or marker used to denote a port-side lateral mark
12. A chimney pot.
13. An E-meter used in Scientology auditing.
14. An ounce (or sometimes, two ounces) of marijuana.
15. A protective cover for the fuel element in a nuclear reactor.

Verb

1. To seal in a can.
   • They canned air to sell as a novelty to tourists.
2. To preserve by heating and sealing in a jar or can.
   • They spent August canning fruit and vegetables.
3. To discard, scrap or terminate (an idea, project, etc.).
   • He canned the whole project because he thought it would fail.
4. To shut up.
   • Can your gob.
5. To fire or dismiss an employee.
   • The boss canned him for speaking out.
6. To hole the ball.
7. To cover (the fuel element in a nuclear reactor) with a protective cover.

Source: Wiktionary · CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wiktionary) · cached copy, not a rewrite.