canopy

1 of 2

noun

can·​o·​py ˈka-nə-pē How to pronounce canopy (audio)
plural canopies
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
A canopy hung over the altar.
c
: a protective covering: such as
(1)
: the uppermost spreading branchy layer of a forest
(2)
: awning, marquee
A canopy was erected over the grandstand.
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

canopy

2 of 2

verb

canopied; canopying

transitive verb

: to cover with or as if with a canopy
Tall trees canopied the island.

Examples of canopy in a Sentence

Noun A canopy hung over the altar. trees line both sides of the garden path, with their foliage forming a leafy canopy for walkers
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Indoors and out are braided together: The roof extends into a broad canopy, and the inner stone wall turns and slips through the glass to become an exterior façade. Justin Davidson, Curbed, 28 Apr. 2025 Rose of Sharon also makes a good hedge but has a more open canopy. Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2025
Verb
Occasioning all this was her cherry tree, a monumental Kanzan that canopies roughly two-thirds of her Brooklyn backyard and part of the one next door. Kholood Eid, New York Times, 2 May 2025 Sometimes the truck passed down shady streets canopied by fertile trees. Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for canopy

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

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

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1594, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of canopy was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Canopy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canopy. Accessed 20 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

canopy

1 of 2 noun
can·​o·​py ˈkan-ə-pē How to pronounce canopy (audio)
plural canopies
1
a
: a covering over a bed, throne, or shrine or carried on poles (as over a person of high rank)
b
: awning
2
: a shade or shelter that hangs over something
especially : the uppermost spreading layer of a forest
3
: the fabric part of a parachute that catches the air

canopy

2 of 2 verb
canopied; canopying
: to cover with or as if with a canopy

More from Merriam-Webster on canopy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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