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can1
verb (past tense could )
1 to be able to Can you lift that?
2 to know how to He can play the guitar .
3 to feel able to; to feel it right to How can you believe that?
4 used to express surprise Can it really be that late?
5 used to express a possibility The weather can change so quickly .
6 to have permission to Can I take an apple?
7 used when asking for help, etc Can you give me the time? See also cannot, can't, could, couldn't.
[Anglo-Saxon cunnan to know]

can, may || Essentially, can denotes capability or capacity, and may denotes permission or opportunity. Because these two sets of meaning constantly overlap, the two words have become highly interchangeable, with can more versatile than may: Hospital trusts attract more staff and can determine their own pay rates. You can do it when you come home from work. In both these examples, may is also possible. || Both can and may are used to denote what is probable or habitual: A quiet river on a summer's day may be a raging torrent in February. Things can go dreadfully wrong at this stage. || When capability or capacity is predominant, can is used: I can't cope with life at the moment. Can you see the point I am trying to make?

can2
noun
1 a sealed container, usually of tin plate or aluminium, for food, fizzy drinks, etc.
2 a large container made of metal or another material, for holding liquids, eg oil or paint.
3 the amount a can will hold.
4 (the can) slang prison.
5 (usu the can) N Am, slang a lavatory.
verb (canned , canning ) to seal (food or drink) in metal containers in order to preserve it.
[Anglo-Saxon canne ]
carry the can colloq to take the blame.
in the can colloq completed; finished.
© Hodder Education

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