canopy

¹can·o·py

noun \ˈka-nə-pē\

plural can·o·pies

Definition of CANOPY

1

a : a cloth covering suspended over a bed b : a cover (as of cloth) fixed or carried above a person of high rank or a sacred object : baldachin c : a protective covering: as (1) : the uppermost spreading branchy layer of a forest (2) : awning, marquee

2

: an ornamental rooflike structure

3

a : the transparent enclosure over an airplane cockpit b : the fabric part of a parachute that catches the air

Examples of CANOPY

1. A canopy hung over the altar.
2. <trees line both sides of the garden path, with their foliage forming a leafy canopy for walkers>

Origin of CANOPY

Middle English canope, from Medieval Latin canopeum mosquito net, from Latin conopeum, from Greek kōnōpion, from kōnōps mosquito

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to CANOPY

Synonyms: awning, ceiling, cover, roof, tent

Related Words: dome, marquee, pavilion; arbor, bower, pergola; screen, shade, shelter, shield, sunshade, umbrella; canvas (also canvass), fly

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Other Ecology Terms

Malthusian, anthropogenic, biomass, carbon footprint, crepuscular, niche, sere, symbiosis, taiga, tundra