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Can in Scrabble and Meaning

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What does can mean? Is can a Scrabble word?

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Is can a Scrabble word?

Yes. The word can is a Scrabble US word. The word can is worth 5 points in Scrabble:

C3A1N1

Is can a Scrabble UK word?

Yes. The word can is a Scrabble UK word and has 5 points:

C3A1N1

Is can a Words With Friends word?

Yes. The word can is a Words With Friends word. The word can is worth 7 points in Words With Friends (WWF):

C4A1N2

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3-letter words (1 found)

CAN,

2-letter words (2 found)

AN,NA,

You can make 3 words from can according to the Scrabble US and Canada dictionary.

All 3 letters words made out of can

can acn cna nca anc nac

Note: these 'words' (valid or invalid) are all the permutations of the word can. These words are obtained by scrambling the letters in can.

Definitions and meaning of can

can

Etymology 1

From Middle English can, first and third person singular of connen, cunnen (“to be able, know how”), from Old English can(n), first and third person singular of cunnan (“to know how”), from Proto-West Germanic *kunnan, from Proto-Germanic *kunnaną, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (whence also know). Doublet of con. See also: canny, cunning.

Alternative forms

  • canne (obsolete)
  • kin (pronunciation spelling)

Pronunciation

  • (stressed)
    • enPR: kăn
    • (Received Pronunciation, Ireland) IPA(key): /ˈkæn/, [ˈkʰan], [ˈkʰæn]
    • (General American, Canada) IPA(key): /ˈkæn/, [ˈkʰæn], [ˈkʰɛən ~ ˈkʰeən] (see /æ/ raising)
    • (General Australian) IPA(key): /ˈkæn/, [ˈkʰæn], [ˈkʰɛːn] (see /æ/ raising)
      • (Philadelphia) IPA(key): /ˈkɛn/
    • (New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˈkɛn/, [ˈkʰɛˑn]
    • Rhymes: -æn
  • (unstressed)
    • IPA(key): /kən/, [kʰən], [kʰn̩]

Pronunciation notes

  • Some US dialects that glottalize the final /t/ in can’t ([kæn(ʔ)]), in order to differentiate can’t from can, pronounce can as /kɛn/ even when stressed.

Verb

can (third-person singular simple present can, present participle (by suppletion) able, simple past could, past participle (obsolete except in adjectival use) couth)

  1. (auxiliary verb, defective) To know how to; to be able to.
    Synonym: be able to
    Antonyms: cannot, can't
  2. (modal auxiliary verb, defective, informal) May; to be permitted or enabled to.
    Synonym: may
  3. (modal auxiliary verb, defective) To have the potential to; be possible.
  4. (auxiliary verb, defective) Used with verbs of perception.
  5. (obsolete, transitive) To know.
    Synonyms: cognize, grok, ken
    • ca.1360-1387, William Langland, Piers Plowman
      I can rimes of Robin Hood.
    • ca.1360-1387, William Langland, Piers Plowman
      I can no Latin, quod she.
  6. (India, nonstandard, proscribed) To be (followed by a word like able, possible, allowed).
Usage notes
  • For missing forms, substitute inflected forms of be able to, as:
    • I might be able to go.
    • I have been able to go, since I was seven.
    • I had been able to go before.
    • I will be able to go tomorrow.
  • The word could also suffices in many tenses. “I would be able to go” is equivalent to “I could go”, and “I was able to go” can be rendered “I could go”. (Unless there is a clear indication otherwise, “could verb” means “was able to verb”, but “could not verb” means “was/were unable to verb”.)
  • The present tense negative can not is usually contracted to cannot (more formal) or can’t (less formal).
  • The use of can in asking permission sometimes is criticized as being impolite or incorrect by those who favour the more formal alternative “may I...?”.
  • Can is sometimes used rhetorically to issue a command, placing the command in the form of a request. For instance, “Can you hand me that pen?” as a polite substitution for “Hand me that pen.”
  • Some US dialects that glottalize the final /t/ in can’t (/kæn(ʔ)/), in order to differentiate can’t from can, pronounce can as /kɛn/ even when stressed.
Conjugation
Derived terms
Translations
See also
  • Appendix:English modal verbs
  • Appendix:English tag questions

Etymology 2

From Middle English canne, from Old English canne (“glass, container, cup, can”), from Proto-Germanic *kannǭ (“can, tankard, mug, cup”).

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation, General American) enPR: kăn, IPA(key): /ˈkæn/
    • Rhymes: -æn
  • (General Australian, Southern England) IPA(key): /ˈkæːn/
  • (æ-tensing) IPA(key): [ˈkeən]

Noun

can (plural cans)

  1. A more or less cylindrical and often metal container or vessel.
    Synonym: (Australia, Britain, and some Commonwealth nations) tin
  2. A container used to carry and dispense water for plants (a watering can).
  3. (archaic) A chamber pot.
    1. (US, slang) a toilet or lavatory.
      (toilet): Synonyms: see Thesaurus:chamber pot, Thesaurus:toilet
      (place with a toilet): Synonyms: see Thesaurus:bathroom
      • 1977-1980, Lou Sullivan, personal diary, quoted in 2019, Ellis Martin, Zach Ozma (editors), We Both Laughed In Pleasure
        If he was going to hide out in the can, he can just stay there & sleep in the tub.
  4. (US, slang) Buttocks.
  5. (slang) Jail or prison.
  6. (slang, in the plural) Headphones.
  7. (archaic) A drinking cup.
  8. (nautical) A cube-shaped buoy or marker used to denote a port-side lateral mark
  9. A chimney pot.
  10. (slang, in the plural) An E-meter used in Scientology auditing.
  11. (US, slang) An ounce (or sometimes, two ounces) of marijuana.
  12. A protective cover for the fuel element in a nuclear reactor.
  13. (vulgar, slang, Canada, US) The breasts of a woman.
Hyponyms
Derived terms
Translations

Verb

can (third-person singular simple present cans, present participle canning, simple past and past participle canned)

  1. To seal in a can.
  2. To preserve by heating and sealing in a jar or can.
  3. To discard, scrap or terminate (an idea, project, etc.).
  4. (transitive, slang) To shut up.
  5. (US, euphemistic) To fire or dismiss an employee.
  6. (golf, slang, transitive) To hole the ball.
  7. (transitive) To cover (the fuel element in a nuclear reactor) with a protective cover.
Conjugation
Synonyms
  • (discard): bin, dump, scrap; see also Thesaurus:junk
  • (shut up): can it, stifle; see also Thesaurus:stop talking or Thesaurus:make silent
  • (dismiss an employee): axe, let go, sack; see also Thesaurus:lay off
Derived terms
  • decan, recan, uncan
  • canner, canning
Translations

See also

  • cancan / can-can
  • Obamacan / Obama-can

References

  • “can”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

  • ANC, CNA, NAC, NCA

Afar

Etymology

Related to Somali caano, Oromo aannan and Saho xan.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈħan/, [ˈħʌn]
  • Hyphenation: can

Noun

cán m (plural caanowá f or canooná f)

  1. milk

Declension

References

  • Loren F. Bliese (1981) A Generative Grammar of Afar‎[3], Dallas: Summer Institute of Linguistics and University of Texas at Arlington (doctoral thesis).
  • E. M. Parker, R. J. Hayward (1985) “can”, in An Afar-English-French dictionary (with Grammatical Notes in English), University of London, →ISBN
  • Mohamed Hassan Kamil (2015) L’afar: description grammaticale d’une langue couchitique (Djibouti, Erythrée et Ethiopie)‎[4], Paris: Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (doctoral thesis)

Aragonese

Etymology

From Latin canis, canem.

Noun

can m (plural cans)

  1. dog

References

  • Bal Palazios, Santiago (2002) “can”, in Dizionario breu de a luenga aragonesa, Zaragoza, →ISBN

Asturian

Etymology

From Latin canis, canem.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkan/, [ˈkãŋ]

Noun

can m (plural canes)

  1. dog (animal)

Synonyms

  • perru

Azerbaijani

Etymology

From Persian جان (jân).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [d͡ʒɑn], [d͡zɑn]

Noun

can (definite accusative canı, plural canlar)

  1. soul, spirit
  2. being, creature, life
  3. body (in expressions concerning body sensations)
    Synonym: bədən
    Canım ağrıyır. ― My body is aching.
    Canıma üşütmə düşdü. ― My body is shivering.
  4. force, vigour
  5. life (the state of organisms preceding their death)
    canını almaq ― to kill (literally, “to take the life of”)

Declension

Derived terms

Catalan

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): (Central, Balearic, Valencian) [ˈkan]

Contraction

can

  1. Contraction of ca en (“the house of”).

Further reading

  • “can” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

Chinese

Etymology 1

Clipping of English canteen.

Pronunciation

Noun

can

  1. (Hong Kong Cantonese, university slang) canteen; restaurant (in a university campus)

Etymology 2

Clipping of English cancer.

Pronunciation

Noun

can

  1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) cancer
Synonyms
  • cancer, 癌症 (áizhèng)

Classical Nahuatl

Alternative forms

  • cānin

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kaːn/

Pronoun

cān

  1. where

Derived terms

  • campa
  • canah

Related terms

Galician

Alternative forms

  • cão (reintegrationist)
  • cam (reintegrationist)

Etymology 1

From Old Galician-Portuguese can, from Latin canis, canem. Cognate with Portuguese cão.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkaŋ/

Noun

can m (plural cans)

  1. dog
  2. (historical) 20th century 5, 10 cents of peseta coin
Related terms
  • cadela
  • caíño
  • cairo
  • can de palleiro
  • dente cairo

Etymology 2

From Old Galician-Portuguese quan, from Latin quam. Cognate with Portuguese quão and Spanish cuan.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkaŋ/

Noun

can m (plural cans)

  1. how

Etymology 3

From Old French chan, from Medieval Latin canus, ultimately from Turkic *qan, contraction of *qaɣan.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkaŋ/

Noun

can m (plural cans)

  1. khan

References

  • “can” in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval, SLI - ILGA 2006–2022.
  • “can” in Xavier Varela Barreiro & Xavier Gómez Guinovart: Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval. SLI / Grupo TALG / ILG, 2006–2018.
  • “can” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006–2013.
  • “can” in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago: ILG.
  • “can” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.

Interlingua

Noun

can (plural canes)

  1. dog
  2. cock, hammer (of a firearm)

Irish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kan̪ˠ/, /kanˠ/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish canaid, from Proto-Celtic *kaneti (“to sing”), from Proto-Indo-European *keh₂n-. Compare Welsh canu, Latin canō, Ancient Greek καναχέω (kanakhéō), Persian خواندن (xândan).

Verb

can (present analytic canann, future analytic canfaidh, verbal noun canadh, past participle canta)

  1. to sing
  2. (Ulster) to speak, talk
    Synonyms: labhair, bí ag caint
Conjugation

Etymology 2

Noun

can m (genitive singular cana)

  1. sawdust, wood shavings
  2. dandruff
Declension

Etymology 3

Noun

can m

  1. state, condition

Adverb

can

  1. (literary) whence
Derived terms
  • can duit? (“where are you from?”)

Mutation

References

Further reading

  • Dinneen, Patrick S. (1904) “canaim”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla, 1st edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 113
  • Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “can”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Istriot

Etymology

From Latin canis.

Noun

can m

  1. dog

Italian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkan/
  • Rhymes: -an
  • Hyphenation: càn

Etymology 1

From Turkic.

Alternative forms

  • cane

Noun

can m (uncountable)

  1. (obsolete) Alternative spelling of khan

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

can m (apocopated)

  1. (poetic, literary) Apocopic form of cane; dog

Ligurian

Alternative forms

  • càn

Etymology

From Latin canis, canem (“dog”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kaŋ/

Noun

can m (plural chen, diminutive cagnetto or cagnin, feminine cagna)

  1. dog, male dog

Related terms

  • cagnara

Lombard

Etymology

From Latin Latin canis. Cognate with Italian cane.

Noun

can

  1. dog

Mandarin

Romanization

can

  1. Nonstandard spelling of cān.
  2. Nonstandard spelling of cán.
  3. Nonstandard spelling of cǎn.
  4. Nonstandard spelling of càn.

Usage notes

  • Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

Middle Dutch

Verb

can

  1. first/third-person singular present indicative of connen

Middle English

Etymology 1

Noun

can

  1. Alternative form of canne

Etymology 2

Verb

can

  1. Alternative form of cunnen

Northern Kurdish

Etymology

Related to Persian جان (jân).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /d͡ʒɑːn/

Noun

can ?

  1. soul

Occitan

Etymology

From Old Occitan [Term?], from Latin canis, canem.

Pronunciation

Noun

can m (plural cans, feminine canha, feminine plural canhas)

  1. dog, hound

Old Galician-Portuguese

Etymology

From Latin canem (“dog”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwṓ (“dog”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkã/

Noun

can m

  1. dog
    • 13th century, Cancioneiro da Biblioteca Nacional, Alfonso X of Castile, B 476: Non quer'eu donzela fea (facsimile)

Descendants

  • Galician: can
  • Portuguese: cão

Old Occitan

Alternative forms

  • quan

Etymology

From Latin quandō.

Conjunction

can

  1. when

Adverb

can

  1. (interrogative) when

Descendants

  • Occitan: quand

Salar

Etymology

From Persian جان (jân, “soul, life, life force”).

Pronunciation

  • (Jiezi, Gaizi, Qingshui, Xunhua, Qinghai) IPA(key): [ʒɑn]
  • (Jiezi, Gaizi, Xunhua, Qinghai) IPA(key): [ʒɑːn]
  • (Mengda, Qingshui, Xunhua, Qinghai) IPA(key): [ʝɑn]

Noun

can

  1. soul

References

  • Tenishev, Edhem (1976) “can”, in Stroj salárskovo jazyká [Grammar of Salar], Moscow, pages 371, 564

Scots

Etymology

From Middle English can, first and third person singular of connen, cunnen (“to be able, know how”), from Old English can(n), first and third person singular of cunnan (“to know how”), from Proto-West Germanic *kunnan, from Proto-Germanic *kunnaną, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵneh₃- (whence know).

Verb

can (third-person singular simple present can, simple past cud)

  1. can
  2. be able to

Derived terms

  • cannae (“cannot”)

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish canaid (“to sing”), from Proto-Celtic *kaneti (“to sing”), from Proto-Indo-European *keh₂n-. Compare Welsh canu, Latin canō, Ancient Greek καναχέω (kanakhéō), Persian خواندن (xândan).

Verb

can (past chan, future canaidh, verbal noun cantainn or canail or cantail, past participle cante)

  1. to say
    cha chan mi càil mus can mi cus ― I won't say anything before I've said too much
  2. to sing (a song)
  3. future indicative dependent of can

Usage notes

  • In most dialects of Scottish Gaelic still spoken, with the notable exception of Islay, the future and conditional tenses and the imperative form are very often used for the verb abair in place of the actual abair forms, particularly in colloquial language; the abair forms are recognised but considered Biblical or excessively formal. Some northern dialects, such as Skye and Lewis, extend this to verbal noun forms derived from can, such as cantainn and canail.

References

  • Edward Dwelly (1911) “can”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary]‎[5], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Latin canis, canem (“dog”). Cognate with Catalan ca, Portuguese cão.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkan/ [ˈkãn]
  • Rhymes: -an
  • Syllabification: can

Noun

can m (plural canes)

  1. (formal) dog, hound
    Synonyms: perro, (colloquial) chucho

Hypernyms

  • cánido

Hyponyms

  • cachorro

Related terms

  • canijo
  • canino

Further reading

  • “can”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014

Turkish

Etymology

From Ottoman Turkish جان, from Persian جان (jân, “soul, vital spirit, life”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /'dʒɑn/
  • Hyphenation: can

Noun

can (definite accusative canı, plural canlar)

  1. soul, life, being
  2. sweetheart

Declension

See also

  • Can

Venetian

Etymology

From Latin canis, canem.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kaŋ/

Noun

can m (plural cani)

  1. (Belluno, Chipilo) dog

Vietnamese

Pronunciation

  • (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [kaːn˧˧]
  • (Huế) IPA(key): [kaːŋ˧˧]
  • (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA(key): [kaːŋ˧˧]

Etymology 1

Sino-Vietnamese word from 肝.

Noun

can

  1. (alternative medicine) liver

Etymology 2

Sino-Vietnamese word from 干.

Noun

can

  1. Short for Thiên Can (“celestial stem”).

Verb

can

  1. to concern; to apply to
  2. to be involved (in); to be implicated (in)

Etymology 3

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 諫 (SV: gián).

Verb

can

  1. to dissuade (someone from doing something); to intervene

Etymology 4

From English canne.

Noun

(classifier cây, cái) can

  1. walking stick

Etymology 5

Verb

can

  1. to join; to unite; to sew together

Etymology 6

From French calque.

Verb

can

  1. to trace (through translucent paper), to do tracing
Derived terms

Volapük

Noun

can (nominative plural cans)

  1. sales commodity, merchandise, wares

Declension

Welsh

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kan/
  • Rhymes: -an

Etymology 1

Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kand- (“to shine, glow”).

See also Ancient Greek κάνδαρος (kándaros, “charcoal”), Albanian hënë (“moon”), Sanskrit चन्द्र (candrá, “shining”) and Old Armenian խանդ (xand).

Adjective

can (feminine singular can, plural can, equative canned, comparative cannach, superlative cannaf)

  1. bleached, white

Noun

can m (plural caniau)

  1. flour
    Synonyms: blawd, fflŵr, paill, peilliaid

Derived terms

  • cannaid (“bright, refulgent”)
  • cannu (“to bleach, to whiten”)

Etymology 2

From Middle Welsh and Old Welsh cant, from Proto-Brythonic *kant, from Proto-Celtic *kantom (“hundred”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱm̥tóm.

Numeral

can

  1. (cardinal number) Apocopic form of cant (“one hundred”)
Usage notes
  • This is the form the number cant (“one hundred”) takes when it precedes a noun.

Etymology 3

From English can.

Noun

can m (plural caniau)

  1. a can

Mutation

See also

  • cân

Further reading

  • R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “can”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
  • Definition from the BBC.

Yucatec Maya

Etymology 1

Numeral

can

  1. Obsolete spelling of kan

Etymology 2

Noun

can

  1. Obsolete spelling of kaan

Source: wiktionary.org