Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.

Can

Definition: Can

Can

Noun

1. Airtight sealed metal container for food or drink or paint etc.

2. The quantity contained in a can.

3. A buoy with a round bottom and conical top.

4. The fleshy part of the human body that you sit on.

5. A plumbing fixture for defecation and urination.

6. A room equipped with toilet facilities.

Verb

1. Be able to, have the ability to.

2. Preserve in a can or tin; "tinned foods are not very tasty".

3. Terminate the employment of; "The boss fired his secretary today".

4. Get to or be allowed to do something; "May I go to the movies tonight?" "Can I have some ice cream?" "We got to play video games all day long".

5. Expresses permission; "You may leave now"; "Can I have another piece of cake?".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "can" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references)

Note: Can \Can\, transitive verb & intransitive verb. Note: [The transitive use is obsolete.]. (references)

 

Specialty Definition: Can

DomainDefinition

Computing

Can vt. To abort a job on a time-sharing system. Used esp. when the person doing the deed is an operator, as in "canned from the {console". Frequently used in an imperative sense, as in "Can that print job, the LPT just popped a sprocket!" Synonymous with gun. It is said that the ASCII character with mnemonic CAN (0011000) was used as a kill-job character on some early OSes, but this is more likely to be short for `cancel'. Alternatively, this term may derive from mainstream slang `canned' for being laid off or fired. Source: Jargon File.

Electrical Engineering

The metal container of a dry cell in which the cell is assembled and which serves as its negative electrode. Source: European Union. (references)
 A metal case or housing used to protect semiconductor device elements from mechanical damage or chemical changes that would affect their electrical characteristics or performance. Source: European Union. (references)

Mining

A. A term used in the tristate zinc and lead district for a bucket used in hoisting. A "can" ranges in capacity from 1,200 to 1,400 lb (544 to 635 kg) b. In a nuclear reactor, the container in which fuel rods are sealed to protect the fuel from corrosion and prevent gaseous diffusion productsfrom escaping into the coolant. (references)

Nuclear Energy & Physics

The external layer of material applied directly to a nuclear fuel or other material, to provide protection from a chemically reactive environment, to provide containment of radioactive products produced during the irradiation of the composite or to provide structural support. Source: European Union. (references)
 A sealed container enclosing nuclear fuel or other material to provide protection from a chemically reactive environment, to provide containment of radioactive products produced during the irradiation of the composite or to provide structural support. Source: European Union. (references)

Slang

Restroom, toilet, buttocks, to terminate employment. (references)

Tips from 1870

Usage: Could, Can, Will. Could is often incorrectly employed where can or will would be more appropriate.
"Could you lend me a dollar this morning?" If the thought of the inquirer is, "Are you willing to lend," etc., he should have used will instead of could; but if his thought was, "Are you able to lend," or "Do you have a dollar to spare this morning," he should have used can. Source: Slips of Speech.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Top     

Specialty Definition: CAN

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

CAN may stand for:

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "CAN."

Top     



Can (band)

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

The now-legendary Can was one of the most influential bands of the Krautrock era, a psychedelic, avant-garde, multi-lingual "anarchist community" who have since had a great influence on modern rock and dance music.

They formed in Cologne in 1967 as Inner Space, comprising bassist Holger Czukay and keyboard player Irmin Schmidt (music teachers who had studied under Karlheinz Stockhausen), guitarist Michael Karoli (a pupil of Czukay), and jazz drummer Jaki Liebezeit. By the release of their first album, the heavily guitar-based Monster Movie (1970), they had enlisted an extremely unstable American vocalist, Malcolm Mooney. His distinctive, anguished vocals added an extra dimension to the already intense music, with its aural distortions and VU-influenced repetition. Particularly disturbing was the 20-minute "Yoo Doo Right", the first of many Can tracks to go well beyond typical song length.

Mooney returned to America soon afterwards and was replaced by the more stable Damo Suzuki, a Japanese traveller found busking outside a cafe. The band's next record was The Can Soundtracks (1971), in which Suzuki's multi-lingual, often incomprehensible, occasionally meaningless and always idiosyncratic vocals made their first appearance.

The next few years saw them release their most acclaimed works. While their early records were at least Earth-bound, their mid-career albums were quite simply something else. Tago Mago (1972) was an astonishing record, totally bizarre on first listening but with a psychedelic energy that brought back the listener beyond his will. The sound was a world away from either prog-rock or the late 60s garage bands from which they drew inspiration, with melodies and rhythms that suggested nobody had even heard of the rule book. The album was followed by Ege Bamyasi (1972), a more accessible (but still avant-garde) record with a definite funkiness besides the experimentation, as on the catchy "Vitamin C". The acclaimed Future Days (1973) was a comparatively relaxed affair, consisting in places of little more than intriguing background sounds, but also featuring the quasi-pop song "Moonshake".

Suzuki left in 1973 to become a Jehovah's Witness, and the vocals were taken over by Karoli and Schmidt. Can released Soon Over Babaluma in 1974 before signing to Virgin Records the following year. Throughout the albums Landed (1975), Flow Motion (1976), Saw Delight (1977) and Out of Reach (1978), Can moved towards a somewhat more conventional style, and the single "I Want More" from Flow Motion became, in the UK, their only Top 40 record in any country. Meanwhile Holger Czukay, who is now perhaps the best-known ex-member, was being slowly pushed to the fringes of the group's activity and did not appear at all on the album Can (1979). The band quietly disbanded at the end of the 1970s.

Since the split, all the former members have been involved in musical projects; Czukay seems to have had the most success. In 1986 they briefly reformed, with Mooney but without Suzuki, to record Rite Time (released in 1989) and have since been the subject of numerous compilations, live albums and samples. Like the Velvet Underground, their real impact was not commercial success (they had none) but their subsequent influence, not only on rock music but on dance as well.

Discography

Albums:

Singles: Important compilations include Limited Edition (1974) and Unlimited Edition (1976) (both consisting of early rarities) and Cannibalism (in three parts released in 1978, 1992 and 1995 respectively).

References: Rock: The Rough Guide (second edition), Penguin, 1999, and Martin C. Strong's Great Rock Discography (fifth edition), MOJO Books, 2000.

Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Can (band)."

Top     



Controller Area Network

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

Controller Area Network (CAN) is a serial bus standard developed by Robert Bosch GmbH for connecting devices. It was initially created for the automotive market but now its applications go from high speed networks to low cost multiplex wiring.

Its specification describes mainly the data link layer - comprised by logical link control (LLC) sublayer and the Media Access Control (MAC) sublayer - and some aspects of the physical layer of the ISO/OSI Reference Model. All the other protocol layers are left to the network designer's choice.

In the CAN model, all devices are connected to a single shared bus and they are all allowed to start a transmission. Therefore, a Carrier Sense Multiple Access / Collision Resolution (CSMA/CR) scheme is implemented, i.e. if two or more devices start transmitting at same time, there is a priority based arbitration scheme to decide which one will be granted permission to continue transmitting.

It is a very robust protocol, with error detection and signalling, self-checking and fault confinement. Bitrates up to 1Mbit/s can be used.

There are currently two message formats:

In order to be compatible with CAN specification, the implementation must accept the standard format and may accept the extended format.

As only some parts of physical layer were defined, many implementations were created. The most used one is the ISO 11898 that uses a two-wire balanced signaling scheme.

Also, as the CAN standard does not include tasks of high layer protocols, such as flow control, device addressing and transportation of data blocks larger than one message, there were created many implementations of higher layer protocols. Among these are DeviceNet, CANopen, SDS and CAN Kingdom.

External links

Top     

Abbreviations & Acronyms: Can

The following table is compiled from various sources, across various languages. When English abbreviations or acronyms come from a non-English source, this is noted.
EntrySourceExpressionField

CAN

EnglishCeric ammonium nitrateChemistry

CAN

FrenchCérinitrate d'ammoniumChemistry

CAN

GermanKanadaGeography, Law

CAN

SpanishAnulaciónComputing, Meteorology & Standards
CAN POPEnglishCommittee against Nuclear Power Plants in New YorkN/A
CAEnglishCan,rectangularMeteorology & Standards, International Organizations

Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

Top     

Synonyms: Can

Synonyms: arse (n), ass (n), backside (n), bathroom (n), behind (n), bottom (n), bum (n), buns (n), butt (n), buttocks (n), can buoy (n), canful (n), commode (n), crapper (n), derriere (n), fanny (n), fundament (n), hind end (n), hindquarters (n), john (n), keister (n), lav (n), lavatory (n), nates (n), posterior (n), pot (n), potty (n), prat (n), privy (n), rear (n), rear end (n), rump (n), seat (n), stern (n), stool (n), tail (n), tail end (n), throne (n), tin (n), tin can (n), toilet (n), tooshie (n), tush (n), dismiss (v), fire (v), force out (v), get (v), give notice (v), give the axe (v), may (v), might (v), put up (v), sack (v), send away (v), terminate (v). (additional references)
Synonym by domain: knock-off (labor).
Antonyms: hire (v), must not (v). (additional references)

Top     

Synonyms within Context: Can

ContextSynonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus).

Power

Belong to, pertain to; lie in one's power, be in one's power; can, be able.

Preservation

Embalm, cure, salt, pickle, season, kyanize, bottle, pot, tin, can; sterilize, pasteurize, radiate; dry, lyophilize, freeze-dry, concentrate, evaporate; freeze, quick-freeze, deep-freeze; husband; (store).

Receptacle

Cistern; (store); vat, caldron, barrel, cask, drum, puncheon, keg, rundlet, tun, butt, cag, firkin, kilderkin, carboy, amphora, bottle, jar, decanter, ewer, cruse, caraffe, crock, kit, canteen, flagon; demijohn; flask, flasket; stoup, noggin, vial, phial, cruet, caster; urn, epergne, salver, patella, tazza, patera; pig gin, big gin; tyg, nipperkin, pocket pistol; tub, bucket, pail, skeel, pot, tankard, jug, pitcher, mug, pipkin; galipot, gallipot; matrass, receiver, retort, alembic, bolthead, capsule, can, kettle; bowl, basin, jorum, punch bowl, cup, goblet, chalice, tumbler, glass, rummer, horn, saucepan, skillet, posnet, tureen.

Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus.

Top     

Crosswords: Can

English words defined with "can": beer cancoffee canmilk cansoda can. (references)
Specialty definitions using "can": burst canCan but, CAN FILLER, can hoisting system, CAN INSPECTOR, can intake worker, CAN PATCHER, CAN RECONDITIONER, can technician, can tester, Catch as Catch canINSPECTOR, METAL CANSUPERVISOR, CARTON AND CAN SUPPLYthe X that can be Y is not the true X. (references)
Etymologies containing "can": Videlicet. (references)
Non-English Usage: "Can" is also a word in the following languages with English translations in parentheses.

Irish (sing), Latin (celebrate, chant, crow, foretell, play, recite, sing, sound), Lombard (dog), Occitan (dog), Provencal (dog), Scottish (say, sing, speak, tell, titter), Spanish (dog), Turkish (beloved, darling, esprit, heart, life, lifeblood, precious, soul, spirit, vitality), Vietnamese (walking-stick), Welsh (flour, white).

Top     

Modern Usage: Can

DomainUsage

Screenplays

I eat breakfast 300 yards from 4000 Cubans who are trained to kill me, so don't think you can come down here, flash a badge, and make me nervous (A Few Good Men; writing credit: Aaron Sorkin)

It's only in the mysterious equation of love that any logical reasons can be found (A Beautiful Mind; writing credit: Akiva Goldsman)

That I can dodge bullets (The Matrix; writing credit: Andy Wachowski and Larry Wachowski.)

You who regrets nothing, you who feels nothing, if that's all I have left to learn, I can do that on my ownand as much as your invitation may appeal to me, I regretfully decline (Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles; writing credit: Anne Rice)

I can help you. (The Sweet Hereafter; writing credit: Atom Egoyan)

Lyrics

I can make you my world (I Can Love You Like That; performing artist: All-4-One)

When can I see you again (When Can I See You; performing artist: Babyface; writing credit: Babyface)

Who can it be knocking at my door (Who Can It Be Now?; performing artist: Men At Work)

How can we be lovers if we can't be friends (HOW CAN WE BE LOVERS; performing artist: Michael Bolton)

Can I get your number baby (Can I Get Your Number(A Girl Like You); performing artist: No Authority)

Clever

You can observe a lot just by watching. (references; author: Yogi Berra)

I can live for a month on a day's compliments. (references; author: Mark Twain)

A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove you don't need it. (references; author: Bob Hope)

If it turns out that there is a God, I don't think that he's evil. But the worst that you can say about him is that basically he's an underachiever. (references; author: Woody Allen)

Don't talk unless you can improve the silence. (references; author: Vermont Proverb)

Tongue Twisters

Can you imagine an imaginary menagerie manager managing an imaginary menagerie? (references; author: unknown)

Catch a can canner canning a can as he does the cancan, amd you've caught a can-anning can-canning can canner! (references; author: unknown)

How much caramel can a canny cannibal cram into a camel, if a canny cannibal can cram caramel into a camel? (references; author: unknown)

Movie/TV Titles

Can Ellen Be Saved? (1974)

Dana Can Deal (1974)

You Can Prevent Burns (1974)

Just What Can You Do? (1972)

Anything You Can Do (1971)

Song Titles

Only Love Can Break A Heart (performing artist: Gene Pitney)

If You Can Do Anything Else (performing artist: George Strait)

The Best Man I Can Be (performing artist: Ginuwine)

NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE  (performing artist: Gloria Gaynor )

A Country Boy Can Survive (performing artist: Hank Williams Jr.)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Top     

Commercial Usage: Can

DomainTitle

References

  • American National Can Group, Inc.: International Competitive Benchmarks and Financial Gap Analysis (reference)

  • Caniel Israel Can Company Limited: International Competitive Benchmarks and Financial Gap Analysis (reference)

  • Kian Joo Can Factory Berhad: International Competitive Benchmarks and Financial Gap Analysis (reference)

  • Hokkai Can Co Ltd: International Competitive Benchmarks and Financial Gap Analysis (reference)

  • U.S. Can Corporation: International Competitive Benchmarks and Financial Gap Analysis (reference)

    (more reference examples)

  

Books

  • Avoiding the Medicaid Trap: How Every American Can Beat the Catastrophic Costs of Nursing Home Care (reference)

  • A Blind Man Can See How Much I Love You : Stories (reference)

  • Children's Furniture You Can Make: Complete Plans and Instructions for Bunks and Bureaus, Chests and Chairs, Cradles and Computer Tables (reference)

  • You Can Write a Business Letter (You Can Write) (reference)

  • Home Businesses You Can Buy: The Definitive Guide to Exploring Franchises, Multi-Level Marketing, and Business Opportunities Plus: How to Avoid Scams (reference)

    (more book examples)

  

Periodicals

  

Theater & Movies

  

Music

  

High Tech

  

Consumer Goods

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Top     

Image Slideshow: Can

Photos:
Can

More pictures...

Illustrations:
Can

More pictures...

Computer Images:
Can

More pictures...

Top     

Photo Album: Can

ThumbnailDescription & CreditThumbnailDescription & Credit

Animal studies are necessary to confirm in vitro results before trials in human beings can be considered. One new approach is to enclose human cancer cells in microscopic capsules and grow them in laboratory-bred mice, which are then treated with a test drug. Credit: Mike Mitchell (photographer).

Various members of a family can be seen in a garden setting picking beans. In the background a farm house and the mountains can be seen. It is a summer day. These people are members of a large Mormon family who are presently being studied for their low cancer death rate. Credit: Linda Bartlett (photographer).

M. tuberculosis bacteria can attack any part of the body, but usually the lungs causing Tuberculosis. It is spread when infected individuals cough or sneeze, releasing microdroplets into the air that contain the bacteria, which others then inhale. Credit: CDC.

E. coli O157:H7 is one of hundreds of strains of the bacterium Escherichia coli, which can cause severe bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps, and in some cases even death. Credit: CDC.

"Traveling Wave 1" (movie) by Сергей Бирюков (Sergei Biryukov). In this movie, and in "Traveling Wave 2", you can use DPGraph's scrollbar to vary the parameters A, B, C, and D, to alter the movie while it is running.

Imagine turning your home computer into the equivalent of a professional telescope which can ... Credit: NASA.

The appearance of a galaxy can depend strongly on the color of the light with which it is ... Credit: NASA.

Hubble Space Telescope (HST) being refurbished during the STS 61 flight.Astronauts Story Musgrave and Jeffrey Hoffman are seen during the last of the five EVAs. Australia's west coast can be seen in the background. Credit: NASA.

On the border between Chile and the Catamarca province of Argentina lies a vast field of currently dormant volcanoes. Over time, these volcanoes have laid down a crust of magma roughly 2 miles (3.2 km) thick. It is tinged with a patina of various colors that can indicate both the age and mineral content of the original lava flows. Credit: NASA.

Guinea-Bissau is a small country in West Africa. Complex patterns can be seen in the shallow waters along its coastline, where silt carried by the Geba and other rivers washes out into the Atlantic Ocean. Credit: NASA.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Top     

Digital Photo Gallery: Can
 

"I can swim!" by Milca Mulders
Commentary: "My little boy in the swimming pool: he is absolutely crazy about water!."
"Can you tell me who i am 9" by Janelle Siegrist
Commentary: "My sister."

Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers.

Top     

Sounds Captioned with "Can".

PlayCaptionPlayCaption
Pouring carbonated soda from a can into a glass.Inserting change into a soda machine; soda can dropping to the receiving tray.
Banging a metal lid onto a metal trash can.Air hissing; losing air pressure; the sound of an aerosol can letting out its contents.
Opening a pressured can of soda.Soda can cracking open.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Top     

Familiar Quotations: Can

AuthorQuotation

Author Unknown

Why worry when you can pray.
Live poor so you can die rich.

Bronson Alcott

Many can argue; not many converse.

Henry Kissinger

Even a paranoid can have enemies.

Joe Louis

He can run. But he can't hide.

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Only law can give us freedom.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

They conquer who believe they can.

Samuel Johnson

To a poet nothing can be useless.

Thomas Carlyle

The king is the man who can.

William Shakespeare

Nothing can come of nothing.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Top     

Historic Usage: Can

AuthorDateQuotation

Magna Carta

1215

No constable or other bailiff of ours shall take corn or other provisions from anyone without immediately tendering money therefor, unless he can have postponement thereof by permission of the seller. (reference)

John Locke

1690

No body can deny but the nourishment is his. (Second Treatise of Government)

Marbury v. Madison

1803

And if they can open it at all, what part of it are they forbidden to read or to oey? (reference)

Communist Manifesto

1848

It has been the first to show what man's activity can bring about. (reference)

Abraham Lincoln

1863

The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. (The Gettysburg Address)

Treaty of Versailles

1919

They can be removed by the Council of the League of Nations, which will provide for their replacement. (reference)

Winston S. Churchill

1946

In such a matter we can only go step by step, but we must begin now. ("Iron Curtain" Speech)

United Nations

1948

Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized. (reference)

Brown v. Board of Education

1954

Only in this way can it be determined if segregation in public schools deprives these plaintiffs of the equal protection of the laws. (reference)

John F. Kennedy

1961

Divided, there is little we can do--for we dare not meet a powerful challenge at odds and split asunder. (reference)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Top     

Use in Literature: Can

TitleAuthorQuote

The Little Prince

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; What is essential is invisible to the eye.

Emma

Austen, Jane

Better accommodations, he can promise them, and not a less grateful welcome than at Randalls

Tangled Tale

Carroll, Lewis

You can be civil to them, while I get the tickets

A Christmas Carol

Dickens, Charles

Nor can I tell you what I would

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

Douglas Adams

In Islington you can hardly hurl a brick without hitting three antique shops, an estate agent and a bookshop

Scarlet Letter

Hawthorne, Nathaniel

What art can do, I have exhausted on him.

Les Miserables

Hugo, Victor

Lucky are they who can get near them

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

Joyce, James

He loved you as only a God can love

Brighton Beach Memoirs

Neil Simon

You had a hole in your pocket. You can tear a hole in your pocket

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Ray Bradbury

That's friendship, each playing the potter to see what shapes we can make of the other

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Top     

Non-Fiction Usage: Can

SubjectTopicQuote

Health

You can do it alone. (references)

IPF can lead to death. (references)

Dysphagia can be serious. (references)

Business

The metal content can be recycled. (references)

Customers can log on to globogift. (references)

For some, however, it can be problematic. (references)

Children

Colombia

These costs can be prohibitive, especially for the rural poor. (references)

Costa Rica

An adult who pays for sex with a minor can be sentenced to 2 to 10 years in prison. (references)

Angola

Sexual relations with a child between the ages of 12 and 17 can be considered sexual abuse. (references)

Civil Liberties

Tanzania

Citizens can return to the country without difficulty. (references)

Belgium

Stateless persons and refugees can apply after 2 years. (references)

Gabon

Libel can be either a criminal offense or a civil matter. (references)

Discrimination

Syria

Party or government connections can pave the way for entrance into better elementary and secondary schools, access to lucrative employment, and greater power within the Government, the military, and the security services. (references)

Economic History

Burkina Faso

March-June can be very hot. (references)

India

Financial arrangements can vary. (references)

Human Rights

Kenya

Very few can afford attorneys. (references)

Maldives

An individual can then be held for 7 days. (references)

Spain

At times pretrial detention can be lengthy. (references)

Indigenous People

Malaysia

NGO's help to create maps that can then be used in court to protect NCR land from logging, development, and palm oil cultivation. (references)

Peru

Indigenous groups assert that such encroachment often can damage the environment and negatively affect the health of the native people. (references)

Taiwan

Some Aborigine leaders have come to believe that only some form of autonomy can preserve their land rights, which constantly are threatened by Chinese developers who use connections and corruption to gain title to aboriginal land. (references)

Minorities

Dominican Republic

The adopting parents can simply register a child of any age as their own. (references)

United Kingdom

Noncompliance can bring criminal penalties and the loss of government contracts. (references)

India

Complicated social and ethnic divisions in society can create severe localized discrimination. (references)

Political Economy

THAILAND

Patent examinations can take more than five years. (references)

BOLIVIA

Most mining taxes can be credited against U.S. taxes. (references)

BELGIUM

Collective bargaining agreements can supplement these laws. (references)

Political Rights

Mexico

In others, they can vote but not hold office. (references)

Mali

He exercises the power of pardon and can grant amnesty. (references)

Dominican Republic

Voting is restricted to those who can document nationality. (references)

Trade

Costa Rica

These terms can be renewed. (references)

New Zealand

New banks can issue checks. (references)

Ukraine

A promissory note can also be applied. (references)

Travel

Mexico

Mail service can be unreliable. (references)

Cape Verde

Cape Verde can be direct-dialed. (references)

Uae

Apartments can be less expensive. (references)

Women

China

Violence against women can be prosecuted under the law. (references)

Australia

Punishment for these crimes can include up to 7 years in prison. (references)

Kazakhstan

The punishment for rape can range from 3 to 15 years imprisonment. (references)

Worker Rights

Cambodia

By law the minimum wage can vary regionally. (references)

Belarus

Victims can be prosecuted for violations of other laws. (references)

Macau

Failure to correct infractions can lead to prosecution. (references)

Lexicography

Devil's Dictionary

PALMISTRY, n. The 947th method (according to Mimbleshaw's classification) of obtaining money by false pretences. It consists in "reading character" in the wrinkles made by closing the hand. The pretence is not altogether false; character can really be read very accurately in this way, for the wrinkles in every hand submitted plainly spell the word "dupe." The imposture consists in not reading it aloud.

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Top     

Spoken Usage: Can

SpeakerPhrase(s)

Chuck Hagel

Well, all I can tell you is that they are part of an administration, and either they're on the team or they're not on the team.

Dennis Miller

Believe me, I can put together quite a legal team where I am going.

Jack Lemmon

I am on the last great journey here, one we all got to take. Maybe I can teach people what to pack for the trip.

John McCain

My company officer would have predicted that I would be on probation rather than in the United States Senate, I can assure you.

Julia Child

Good. And I think, too, it's wonderful they know exactly how to crack that crab so that you can eat it easily, don't they.

Martha Stewart

Yeah, you can go to MarthaStewart.com. Go to Martha's Flowers, and order to your heart's delight. They are really pretty.

Rush Limbaugh

In political speech, you can assert anything.

Walter Cronkite

War is hell. And arresting people, particularly if you have made a mistake and they are innocent civilians, can be pretty tough.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Top     

Speeches: Can

SpeakerTermPhrase(s)

George Washington

1789-1797On none can delay be more injurious or an economy of time more valuable.

Thomas Jefferson

1801-1809Sometimes it is said that man can not be trusted with the government of himself.

Abraham Lincoln

1861-1865Physically speaking, we can not separate.

Herbert C. Hoover

1929-1933Peace can be contributed to by respect for our ability in defense.

Harry S. Truman

1945-1953Communism maintains that social wrongs can be corrected only by violence.

John F. Kennedy

1961-1963Questions of economic and trade policy can always be negotiated.

Ronald Reagan

1981-1989It's time for America to be all that we can be.

George Bush

1989-1993Much good can come from the prudent use of power.

Bill Clinton

1993-2001More than all the changes we can make from the outside in.

George W. Bush

2001-2005Sending Americans into battle is the most profound decision a President can make.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Top     

Usage Frequency: Can

"Can" is generally used as a modal auxiliary verb -- approximately 99.25% of the time. "Can" is used about 235,915 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted)
Parts of SpeechPercentUsage per
100 Million Words
Rank in English
Modal Auxiliary Verb99.25%234,13848
Noun (singular)0.43%1,0187,276
Lexical Verb (base form)0.31%7339,227
                    Total100.00%235,915N/A

Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.

Top     

Name Usage Frequency: Can

The following table summarizes the usage of "can" based on a population census conducted in the United States. Ranks and frequencies are based on all names reported and classified.
NameUsage/GenderUsage per 100
million Persons
Rank in USA
CanLast name10074,393
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.

Top     

Usage in Company Names: Can

CountryNameCountryName
Australia

National Can Industries Limited

Greece

Hellas Can Packaging Manufacturers S.A.

Israel

Caniel Israel Can Company Limited

Japan

Hokkai Can Co Ltd

Malaysia

Kian Joo Can Factory Berhad

USA

American National Can Group, Inc.

 (more examples...)  

Source: compiled by the editor from Icon Group International, Inc.

Top     

Expressions: Can

Expressions using "can": a can of worms aerosol can all i can possibly do all you can eat appertized can as best i can as can be as can be noted as far as i can judge as far as i can remember as far as i can see as fast as one can as much as he can afford as near as i can judge as nearly as i can tell as soon as i can as well as can be expected ash can be in can beer can before one can say jack robinson billy can bite off more than one can chew burst can can afford can be cured can be seen can be taken to pieces can buoy can count can do! can go over Can hook can i buy ..? can i have ..? can i have an apple? can i help you? can i make an appointment? can i open the window? can i see a doctor? can i take your order? can i try it on? can it! can not Can not choose but can not sleep can of paint can of worms can opener can the leopard change it's spots can you ..? can you accept ..? can you bring ..? can you do that? can you give me some small change? can you give me your light? can you help me? can you please ..? can you reach? can you tell me ..? can you tell me? can you try later? can you understand? can you wait an instant? can you wait? can you walk any faster? can you? carry the can carry the can for catch as catch can coffee can Cup and can do all one possibly can do as well as one can do the best one can do the most you can film can garbage can gas can he can do as he likes he can hardly write how can i ever repay you? how can i get to ..? i can i can ill afford to i can manage by myself i can protect myself from my enemies if i can help if you can take it from me! Interjection: what on earth! what in the world! What the devil! Holy cow! Can you top that? jerry can let me know if i can be of service let me know if i can help milk can more than flesh and blood can bear never put off till tomorrow what you can do today no can do! no one can stand between us no one can trust a liar nobody can touch him in irony nor all your piety and wit can bring it back to cancel half a line. Additional references.

Hyphenated Usage

Beginning with "can": can-am, can-base, Can-be, can-book, can-but-wo, can-can, Can-chanh, can-do, can-dock, can-food, can-get-away-with-murder, can-maker, can-making, can-not, can-opener, can-openers, can-run, can-toad, can-track, can-tracks.

Ending with "can": can-can, catch-as-catch-can, garbage-can, in-can, jerry-can, oil-can, save-a-can, spray-can, tin-can.

Containing "can": all-you-can-eat, all-you-can-remember, catch-as-catch-can wrestling, denice-work-if-you-can-get-it, i-can-do-anything-i-want-any-time-i-want-and-make-you-like-it, kettle-out-of-tin-can-makers, they-can-run-but-they-can't-hide, whatever-negative-description-you-can-come-up-with.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Top     

Frequency of Internet Keywords: Can

The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com.
 
ExpressionFrequency
per Day
ExpressionFrequency
per Day

can

2,151

can i imagine lyrics mercyme only

247

catch me if you can

1,322

can crusher