plural noun
These are metal containers often used for food, drinks, or other products.
She bought two cans of soup.
Please recycle your empty cans.
American English
How to pronounce cans
noun · verbA1Very common word
KAANZ
/kʰænz/
One syllable.
Form of can
Cans is not used as the auxiliary form with he or she; use can: She can swim.
These are metal containers often used for food, drinks, or other products.
Practice out loudMeanings & examples
third-person singular verb
He, she, or it puts food or drink into metal containers so it stays good longer.
She cans tomatoes every summer.
The factory cans peaches in July.
Useful expressions
a container for waste
Please put the wrapper in the trash can.
to be very excited about something that will happen
I can't wait to see you.
to create a complicated problem by starting to deal with something
That question opened a can of worms.
Related words & forms
For the modal meaning, use can with every subject: she can, not she cans. For the verb meaning “put food in a can,” write canned and canning with double n.