canopy
noun · verb
Simple meaning
The zone of the highest foliage and branches of a forest.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
kanuhpeeSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈkænəpi
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The zone of the highest foliage and branches of a forest.
A high cover providing shelter, such as a cloth supported above an object, particularly over a bed.
The transparent covering of an aircraft cockpit
In an airplane, the transparent cockpit cover.
Any overhanging or projecting roof structure, typically over entrances or doors.
The umbrellalike part of a parachute that fills with air
verb
transitive
To cover with or as if with a canopy.
intransitive
To go through the canopy of a forest on a zipline.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Formality
- Technical
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A high cover providing shelter, such as a cloth supported above an object, particularly over a bed.
Used this way, canopy is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use canopy
- “A dense canopy of leaves covered the forest floor, blocking the sun.”
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Collections with this word
Themed sets you can browse for free.
Use it yourself
Knowing “canopy” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.