canopy

[ kan-uh-pee ]

noun

, plural can·o·pies.

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;. 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)

, can·o·pied, can·o·py·ing.

1. to cover with or as with a canopy:

   Branches canopied the road.

canopy

/ ˈkænəpɪ /

noun

1. an ornamental awning above a throne or bed or held over a person of importance on ceremonial occasions
2. a rooflike covering over an altar, niche, etc
3. a roofed structure serving as a sheltered passageway or area
4. a large or wide covering, esp one high above

   the sky was a grey canopy

5. the nylon or silk hemisphere that forms the supporting surface of a parachute
6. the transparent cover of an aircraft cockpit
7. the highest level of branches and foliage in a forest, formed by the crowns of the trees

verb

1. tr to cover with or as if with a canopy

Other Words From

• su·per·can·o·py noun plural supercanopies
• un·can·o·pied adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of canopy¹

1350–1400; Middle English canope < Medieval Latin canōpēum, variant of Latin cōnōpēum mosquito net < Greek kōnōpeîon bed with net to keep gnats off, equivalent to kṓnōp ( s ) gnat + -eion, neuter of -eios adj. suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of canopy¹

C14: from Medieval Latin canōpeum mosquito net, from Latin cōnōpeum gauze net, from Greek kōnōpeion bed with protective net, from kōnōps mosquito

Example Sentences

He notes there is work ongoing – from coffee certification schemes, to efforts aimed at strengthening so-called shade coffee farming where coffee is grown under a canopy of other trees – to make coffee growing more sustainable and support communities.

From BBC

I raced out the door and sped to the trail — I couldn’t get there fast enough — and as soon as I set foot on the path, under a canopy of Coast Live Oaks, my chest opened up and my breathing steadied.

From Los Angeles Times

Eight people have died after a concrete canopy at a railway station in northern Serbia collapsed, the country's Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said.

From BBC

Serbian media quoted Railway Infrastructure of Serbia, the body responsible for the concrete canopy, as saying that it was not reconstructed with the station.

From BBC

Prime Minister Miloš Vučević said everyone found responsible for the maintenance of the canopy, which was built in 1964, would be held accountable, media reported.

From BBC