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can·o·py

(kănə-pē)

n. pl. can·o·pies

a. A covering, usually cloth, suspended over a throne or bed.

b. A cloth covering held aloft on poles above a sacred object, an eminent person, or a couple being married during certain wedding ceremonies.

c. A cloth covering held aloft on posts, used for shade or decoration.

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.

6. The transparent covering that encloses the cockpit of certain 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.]

(click for a larger image)

canopy

top: on a canopy bed

bottom: on a Northrop F-5E Tiger II fighter jet

(click for a larger image)

canopy

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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