Emily Dickinson Lexicon

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.

Crossing; 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.

CAN'CER-OUS-NESS, n.

The state of being cancerous.

CAN'CRI-FORM, a.

1. Cancerous.
2. Having the form of a cancer or crab.

CAN'CRINE, a.

Having the qualities of a crab.