noun, plural -pies, verb, -pied, -py⋅ing.| 1. | a covering, usually of fabric, supported on poles or suspended above a bed, throne, exalted personage, or sacred object. |
| 2. | an overhanging projection or covering, as a long canvas awning stretching from the doorway of a building to a curb. |
| 3. | an ornamental, rooflike projection or covering. |
| 4. | Also called crown canopy, crown cover. the cover formed by the leafy upper branches of the trees in a forest. |
| 5. | the sky. |
| 6. | the part of a parachute that opens up and fills with air, usually made of nylon or silk. |
| 7. | the transparent cover over the cockpit of an airplane. |
| 8. | to cover with or as with a canopy: Branches canopied the road. |
nōp(s) gnat + -eion, neut. of -eios adj. suffix
canopy
in architecture, a projecting hood or cover suspended over an altar, statue, or niche. It originally symbolized a divine and royal presence and was probably derived from the cosmic audience tent of the Achaemenian kings of Persia. In the Middle Ages it became a symbol of the divine presence in churches. During the 14th and 15th centuries, tombs, statues, and niches were overhung with richly decorated tabernacle work in stone, and these were reflected in delicate spiral wooden canopies over fonts.
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