Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CAM'-WOOD, n.

A tropical wood used in dyeing; said to be the produce of a species of Tepesia, a genus nearly allied to Cæsalpinia.

CAN, n. [D. kan; Sax. canna; G. kanne; Dan. kande; Sw. kanna; Corn. hannath; Sans. kundha; probably from holding, containing; W. cannu or ganu, to contain, gan, capacity, a mortise; Eng. gain, in carpentry. Hence, W. cant, a circle, a hoop, a fence round a yard, a hundred; L. centum; Teut. hund, in hundred. See Cent and Hundred, and Can, infra.]

A cup or vessel for liquors, in modern times made of metal; as, a can of ale.

CAN, v.i. [pret. could, which is from another root. See Could. Can is from the Sax. cennan, to know, to bear or produce; Goth. kunnan; Sax. cunnan, to know, to be able; cunnian, to try, to attempt, to prove; cind, cyn, gecynd, kind; L. genus; D. kunnen to know, to understand, to hold, to contain, to be able, like the Fr. savoir; Dan. kan, to be able; kiender, to know; Sw. känna, to know; kunna, to be able; G. kennen, to know; können, to be able. Hence cunning, that is, knowing, skillful, experienced; G. können, a being able, ability, knowledge; kund, public; kunde, knowledge, acquaintance. The Teutonic and Gothic words unite with the Greek γενναω, to beget, as a male, and to bear, as a female, which is connected with γινομαι, to be born or produced. Can, cennan, and γενναω, are probably the same word; and the Sax. ginnan, in the compounds aginnan, beginnan, onginnan, to begin, is from the same root. The primary sense is, to strain, to stretch, to urge or thrust with force, which gives the sense of producing, and of holding, containing, which is the primary sense of knowing, comprehending; and straining gives the sense of power. The Sax. cunnian, to try, is to strain. See Ken. Ar. كَانَ kauna, to be, the substantive verb; also, to become, to be made, to endure; also, to create, to generate, to form; قَنِنَ kanina, to know; Heb. and Ch. כון, to fit or prepare, to form or fashion; whence right, fit; as we have right; Sax. reht; L. rectus, from rego, to rule, that is, to strain, stretch, make straight; Syr. ܒܢ kan, to begin to be, and its derivatives, to plant or establish, to create, to be prepared; Eth. ከወነ kun, to be, to become, to be made; Ch. and Sam. as the Hebrew. See Class Gn, No. 29. 38, and 58, 42, 45, &c. Can, in English is treated as an auxiliary verb, the sign of the infinitive being omitted, as in the phrases, I can go, instead of, I can to go; thou canst go; he can go.]

1. To be able; to have sufficient strength or physical power. One man can lift a weight which another can not. A horse can run a certain distance in a given time.
2. To have means, or instruments, which supply power or ability. A man can build a house, or fit out a ship, if he has the requisite property. A nation can not prosecute a war, without money or credit. I will lend you a thousand dollars if I can.
3. To be possible. Nicodemus said, How can these things be? John iii.
4. To have adequate moral power. A man can indulge in pleasure, or he can refrain. He can restrain his appetites, if he will.
5. To have just or legal competent power, that is right; to be free from any restraint of moral, civil or political obligation, or from any positive prohibition. We can use a highway for travel, for this is permitted by law. A man can or can not hold an office. The Jews could not eat certain kinds of animals which were declared to be unclean. The House of Commons in England can impeach, but the House of Lords only can try impeachments. In general, we can do whatever neither the laws of God nor of man forbid. How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God. Gen. xxxix. I can not go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more. Num. xxii.
6. To have natural strength, or capacity; to be susceptible of; to be able or free to undergo any change, or produce any effect, by the laws and constitution of nature, or by divine appointment. Silver can be melted, but can not be changed into gold. Can the rush grow without mire? Job viii. Can the fig-tree bear olive berries? James iii. Can faith save him? James ii.
7. To have competent strength, ability, fortitude, patience, &c., in a passive sense. He can not bear reproof. I can not endure this impertinence. This is a hard saying; who can hear it. John vi.
8. To have the requisite knowledge, experience or skill. Young men are not admitted members of college, till they can translate Latin and Greek. An astronomer can calculate an eclipse, though he can not make a coat.
9. To have strength of inclination or motives sufficient to overcome obstacles, impediments, inconvenience or other objection. I have married a wife, and therefore I can not come. Luke xiv. I can not rise and give thee – yet because of his importunity, he will rise and give him. Luke xi.
10. To have sufficient capacity; as, a vessel can not hold or contain the whole quantity.

CAN, v.t.

To know. [Not in use.] Spenser.

CA-NA'DI-AN, a.

Pertaining to Canada, an extensive country on the north of the United States.

CA-NA'DI-AN, n.

An inhabitant or native of Canada.

CA-NAIL', n. [Fr. canaille; Sp. canalla; Port. canalha; It. canaglia.]

The coarser part of meal: hence, the lowest people; lees; dregs; offscouring.

CAN'A-KIN, n.

A little can or cup. Shak.

CANAL', n. [L. canalis, a channel or kennel; these being the same word differently written; Fr. canal; Arm. can, or canol; Sp. and Port. canal; It. canale. See Cane. It denotes a passage, from shooting, or passing.]

1. A passage for water; a water course; properly, a long trench or excavation in the earth for conducting water, and confining it to narrow limits; but the term may be applied to other water courses. It is chiefly applied to artificial cuts or passages for water, used for transportation; whereas channel is applicable to a natural water course. The canal from the Hudson to Lake Erie, is one of the noblest works of art.
2. In anatomy, a duct or passage in the body of an animal, through which any of the juices flow, or other substances pass; as the neck of the bladder, and the alimentary canal.
3. A surgical instrument; a splint. Coxe.

CA-NAL-COAL', n.

See CANNEL-COAL.

CAN-A-LIC'U-LATE, or CAN-A-LIC'U-LA-TED, a. [L. canaliculatus, from canaliculus, a little pipe, from canalis, canna, a pipe.]

Channeled; furrowed. In botany, having a deep longitudinal groove above, and convex underneath; applied to the stem, leaf, or petiole of plants. Martyn.

CA-NA'RY, n.

1. Wine made in the Canary Isles.
2. An old dance. Shakspeare has used the word as a verb in a kind of cant phrase.

CA-NA'RY-BIRD, n.

A singing bird from the Canary Isles, a species of Fringilla. The bill is conical and straight; the body is yellowish white; the prime feathers of the wings and tail are greenish. These birds are now bred in other countries.

CA-NA'RY-GRASS, n.

A plant, the Phalaris, whose seeds are collected for canary-birds.

CAN'-BUOY, n.

In seamanship, a buoy in form of a cone, made large, and sometimes painted, as a mark to designate shoals, &c. Mar. Dict.

CAN'CEL, v.t. [Fr. canceller; Port. cancellar; L. cancello, to deface, properly to make cross bars or lattice-work; hence to make cross lines on writing, from cancelli, cross bars or lattice-work; Gr. κιγκλις; Syr. and Ch. קנקל kankel, id.]

1. To cross the lines of a writing, and deface them; to blot out or obliterate.
2. To annul, or destroy; as, to cancel an obligation or a debt.

CAN'CEL-A-TED, a. [L. cancellatus, cancello.]

1. Cross-barred; marked with cross lines. Grew. Martyn.
2. Cellular, as the porous structure of bones. Mantell.

CAN-CEL-A'TION, n.

The act of defacing by cross lines; a canceling.

CAN'CEL-ED, pp.

Crossed; obliterated; annulled.

CAN'CEL-ING, ppr.

Croosing; obliterating; annulling.

CAN'CER, n. [L. cancer; Sax. cancre; Fr. cancre; D. kanker; Sp. cangrejo, cancro; It. cancro, canchero; Gr. κογχη. This seems to be the same word, though applied to the shell; καρκινος, a cancer, is a different word. From the Greek, the Latins have concha, Eng. conch. But n is not radical; for this is undoubtedly the W. cocos, Eng. cockle, Fr. coquille, coque, It. coccia. These words are probably from the same root as Sp. cocar, to wrinkle, twist, or make wry faces; Ir. cuachaim, to fold; Eng. cockle, to shrink or pucker; verbs which give the primary sense. It is to be noted that cancer and canker are the same word; canker being the original pronunciation.]

1. The crab or crab-fish. This genus of animals have generally eight legs, and two claws which serve as hands; two distant eyes, supported by a kind of peduncles, and they are elongated and movable. They have also two clawed palpi, and the tail is jointed. To this genus belong the lobster, shrimp, cray-fish, &c.
2. In astronomy, one of the twelve signs of the zodiac, represented by the form of a crab, and limiting the sun's course northward in summer; hence, the sign of the summer solstice.
3. In medicine, a roundish, hard, unequal, scirrous tumor of the glands, which usually ulcerates, is very painful, and generally fatal.

CAN'CER-ATE, v.i.

To grow into a cancer; to become cancerous. L'Estrange.

CAN-CER-A'TION, n.

A growing cancerous, or into a cancer.

CAN'CER-OUS, a.

Like a cancer; having the qualities of a cancer. Wiseman.

CAN'CER-OUS-LY, adv.

In the manner of a cancer.