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canopy

 - 4 dictionary results

can⋅o⋅py

[kan-uh-pee] noun, plural -pies, verb, -pied, -py⋅ing.
–noun
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.
–verb (used with object)
8. to cover with or as with a canopy: Branches canopied the road.

Origin:
1350–1400; ME canope < ML canōpēum, var. of L cōnōpēum mosquito net < Gk kōnōpeîon bed with net to keep gnats off, equiv. to knōp(s) gnat + -eion, neut. of -eios adj. suffix
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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can·o·py   (kān'ə-pē)   
n.   pl. can·o·pies
  1. A covering, usually of cloth, suspended over a throne or bed or held aloft on poles above an eminent person or a sacred object.

  2. Architecture An ornamental rooflike projection over a niche, altar, or tomb.

  3. A protective rooflike covering, often of canvas, mounted on a frame over a walkway or door.

  4. A high overarching covering, such as the sky: "I just look up at the stars and let the vastness of that black and twinkling canopy fill my soul" (Margaret Mason).

  5. The uppermost layer in a forest, formed by the crowns of the trees. Also called crown canopy.

  6. The transparent enclosure over the cockpit of an aircraft.

  7. The part of a parachute that opens up to catch the air.

tr.v.   can·o·pied, can·o·py·ing, can·o·pies
To cover with or as if with a canopy.

[Middle English canape, from Medieval Latin canāpēum, mosquito net, from Latin cōnōpēum, from Greek kōnōpeion, bed with mosquito netting, from kōnōps, kōnōp-, mosquito.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

canopy 
1382, from O.Fr. conope "bed-curtain," from L. conopeum, from Gk. konopeion "couch with mosquito curtains," from konops "mosquito, gnat." The same word (canape) in Sp. and Port. now means "sofa, couch."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia

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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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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