Similar words: would, should, heart and soul, coup, court, course, couch, cousin. Meaning: [kæn;kən] 
verb.1. to be able to; have the ability, power, or skill to: She can solve the problem easily, I'm sure. 2. to know how to: He can play chess, although he's not particularly good at it. 3. to have the power or means to: A dictator can impose his will on the people. 4. to have the right or qualifications to: He can change whatever he wishes in the script. 5. may; have permission to: Can I speak to you for a moment? 6. to have the possibility: A coin can land on either side. v.t., v.i.7. Obs. to know. [bef. 900; ME, OE, pres. ind. sing. 1st, 3rd person of cunnan to know, know how; c. G, ON, Goth kann; see KEN, KNOW]Usage. CAN1 and MAY1 are frequently but not always interchangeable in senses indicating possibility: A power failure can (or may) occur at any time. Despite the insistence by some, that CAN means only "to be able" and MAY means "to be permitted," both are regularly used in seeking or granting permission: Can (or May) I borrow your tape recorder? You can (or may) use it tomorrow.Sentences using CAN occur chiefly in spoken English. MAY in this sense occurs more frequently in formal contexts: May I address the court, Your Honor? In negative constructions, CAN'T or CANNOT is more common than MAY NOT: You can't have it today. I need it myself. The contraction MAYN'T is rare.CAN BUT and CANNOT BUT are formal and now somewhat old-fashioned expressions suggesting that there is no possible alternative to doing something. CAN BUT is equivalent to CAN ONLY: We can but do our best. CANNOT BUT is the equivalent of CANNOT HELP BUT: We cannot but protest against these injustices. See also cannot, help.canned|canning|cans|could/kan/, n., v., canned, canning.n.1. a sealed container for food, beverages, etc., as of aluminum, sheet iron coated with tin, or other metal: a can of soup. 2. a receptacle for garbage, ashes, etc.: a trash can. 3. a bucket, pail, or other container for holding or carrying liquids: water can. 4. a drinking cup; tankard. 5. a metal or plastic container for holding film on cores or reels. 6. Slang. (usually vulgar). toilet; bathroom. 7. Slang. jail: He's been in the can for a week. 8. Slang. (sometimes vulgar). buttocks. 9. Mil. Slang. a depth charge. a destroyer. 10. carry the can, Brit. and Canadian Slang. to take the responsibility. 11. in the can, recorded on film; completed: The movie is in the can and ready for release. v.t.12. to preserve by sealing in a can, jar, etc. 13. Slang. to dismiss; fire. 14. Slang. to throw (something) away. 15. Slang. to put a stop to: Can that noise! 16. to record, as on film or tape. [bef. 1000; ME, OE canne, c. G Kanne, ON kanna, all perh. < WGmc; cf. LL canna small vessel], /kood/; unstressed /keuhd/, v.1. a pt. of can1. auxiliary verb.2. (used to express possibility): I wonder who that could be at the door. That couldn't be true. 3. (used to express conditional possibility or ability): You could do it if you tried. 4. (used in making polite requests): Could you open the door for me, please? 5. (used in asking for permission): Could I borrow your pen? 6. (used in offering suggestions or advice): You could write and ask for more information. You could at least have called me..
verb.1. to be able to; have the ability, power, or skill to: She can solve the problem easily, I'm sure. 2. to know how to: He can play chess, although he's not particularly good at it. 3. to have the power or means to: A dictator can impose his will on the people. 4. to have the right or qualifications to: He can change whatever he wishes in the script. 5. may; have permission to: Can I speak to you for a moment? 6. to have the possibility: A coin can land on either side. v.t., v.i.7. Obs. to know. [bef. 900; ME, OE, pres. ind. sing. 1st, 3rd person of cunnan to know, know how; c. G, ON, Goth kann; see KEN, KNOW]Usage. CAN1 and MAY1 are frequently but not always interchangeable in senses indicating possibility: A power failure can (or may) occur at any time. Despite the insistence by some, that CAN means only "to be able" and MAY means "to be permitted," both are regularly used in seeking or granting permission: Can (or May) I borrow your tape recorder? You can (or may) use it tomorrow.Sentences using CAN occur chiefly in spoken English. MAY in this sense occurs more frequently in formal contexts: May I address the court, Your Honor? In negative constructions, CAN'T or CANNOT is more common than MAY NOT: You can't have it today. I need it myself. The contraction MAYN'T is rare.CAN BUT and CANNOT BUT are formal and now somewhat old-fashioned expressions suggesting that there is no possible alternative to doing something. CAN BUT is equivalent to CAN ONLY: We can but do our best. CANNOT BUT is the equivalent of CANNOT HELP BUT: We cannot but protest against these injustices. See also cannot, help.canned|canning|cans|could/kan/, n., v., canned, canning.n.1. a sealed container for food, beverages, etc., as of aluminum, sheet iron coated with tin, or other metal: a can of soup. 2. a receptacle for garbage, ashes, etc.: a trash can. 3. a bucket, pail, or other container for holding or carrying liquids: water can. 4. a drinking cup; tankard. 5. a metal or plastic container for holding film on cores or reels. 6. Slang. (usually vulgar). toilet; bathroom. 7. Slang. jail: He's been in the can for a week. 8. Slang. (sometimes vulgar). buttocks. 9. Mil. Slang. a depth charge. a destroyer. 10. carry the can, Brit. and Canadian Slang. to take the responsibility. 11. in the can, recorded on film; completed: The movie is in the can and ready for release. v.t.12. to preserve by sealing in a can, jar, etc. 13. Slang. to dismiss; fire. 14. Slang. to throw (something) away. 15. Slang. to put a stop to: Can that noise! 16. to record, as on film or tape. [bef. 1000; ME, OE canne, c. G Kanne, ON kanna, all perh. < WGmc; cf. LL canna small vessel], /kood/; unstressed /keuhd/, v.1. a pt. of can1. auxiliary verb.2. (used to express possibility): I wonder who that could be at the door. That couldn't be true. 3. (used to express conditional possibility or ability): You could do it if you tried. 4. (used in making polite requests): Could you open the door for me, please? 5. (used in asking for permission): Could I borrow your pen? 6. (used in offering suggestions or advice): You could write and ask for more information. You could at least have called me.. 211. We could hear the child sobbing in the other room.
212. We did all we could to make the room beautiful.
213. We could hear the neighbours going at each other hammer and tongs.
214. He could heal you of your pneumonia, you'd better go to see him as soon as possible.
215. She ran out of the room and slammed the door as hard as she could.
216. Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.
217. Although he had had little formal education, he could read and write well.
218. There was such a crowd round the distinguished visitor that I could not get to speak to him.
219. I asked my mother if I could go out, and she consented.
220. Through the mist I could just make out a vague figure.
221. We could just see the outline of the house through the mist.
222. They built a platform in the trees from which they could watch the animals unobserved.
223. Any decrease in tourism could have serious repercussions for the local economy.
224. So many pupils rushed for the trolleybus that I could hardly get off.
225. In those far off days it never entered anyone's mind that she could be Prime Minister.
226. If this case is successful it could open the floodgates for thousands of similar claims.
227. I can accept defeat but could not accept to give up .
228. He pointed up to the roof(Sentencedict.com ),[sentencedict.com] through which the steady drumming of rain could be heard.
229. We could hear their voices growing fainter as they walked down the road.
230. Could you do me a favour and tell Kelly I can't make it?
231. The crowd pressed together so tightly that we could hardly breathe.
232. Wit Wolzek claimed the legislation could impinge on privacy, self determination and respect for religious liberty.
233. The mention of price rises sent citizens out to their shops to buy up as much as they could.
234. If we'd all work together, I think we could accomplish our goal.
235. It is difficult to imagine how the North and South could ever agree on a formula to unify the divided peninsula.
236. She could just see by the light of the candle.
237. How could she have been so foolish as to fall in love with him?
More similar words: would, should, heart and soul, coup, court, course, couch, cousin, county, couple, country, of course, counter, council, account, count out, count on, discount, courtroom, encourage, discourse, discourage, counselor, courageous, account for, a couple of, encouraging, in due course, accounting, discouraged.