noun / verb
can
A metal container used to hold material.
She opens a metal can of tomatoes for the sauce.
Etymology
Old English canne named a container or vessel. Modern can narrows that inherited container idea especially to metal vessels, including those used to preserve or package their contents.
More examples
- They canned peaches in sealed jars for winter.
- Put the empty cans in the recycling bin.
- He used the informal phrase the can to mean the bathroom.
Forms
can · cans · canned · canning
Similar words
- jar
- Usually made of glass, while a can is typically metal.