Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - can

 or ~ad  abbreviation ~ada; ~adian CAN  I. verb  (past could; present singular & plural ~)  Etymology: Middle English (1st & 3d singular present indicative), from Old English; akin to Old High German kan (1st & 3d singular present indicative) know, am able, Old English cnawan to know — more at know  Date: before 12th century  transitive verb  1. obsolete know, understand  2. archaic to be able to do, make, or accomplish  intransitive verb archaic to have knowledge or skill  verbal auxiliary  1.  a. know how to she ~ read  b. be physically or mentally able to he ~ lift 200 pounds  c. — used to indicate possibility do you think he ~ still be alive those things ~ happen — sometimes used interchangeably with may  d. be permitted by conscience or feeling to ~ hardly blame her  e. be made possible or probable by circumstances to he ~ hardly have meant that  f. be inherently able or designed to everything that money ~ buy  g. be logically or axiologically able to 2 + 2 ~ also be written 3 + 1  h. be enabled by law, agreement, or custom to  2. have permission to — used interchangeably with may you ~ go now if you like Usage:  Can and may are most frequently interchangeable in senses denoting possibility; because the possibility of one's doing something may depend on another's acquiescence, they have also become interchangeable in the sense denoting permission. The use of ~ to ask or grant permission has been common since the 19th century and is well established, although some commentators feel may is more appropriate in formal contexts. May is relatively rare in negative constructions (mayn't is not common); ~not and ~'t are usual in such contexts.  II. noun  Etymology: Middle English ~ne, from Old English; akin to Old High German channa  Date: before 12th century  1. a usually cylindrical receptacle:  a. a vessel for holding liquids; specifically a drinking vessel  b. a usually metal typically cylindrical receptacle usually with an open top, often with a removable cover, and sometimes with a spout or side handles (as for holding milk or trash)  c. a container (as of tinplate) in which products (as perishable foods) are hermetically sealed for preservation until use  d. a jar for packing or preserving fruit or vegetables  2. jail  3.  a. toilet  b. bathroom 1  4. buttocks  5. destroyer 2  • ~ful noun  III. transitive verb  (~ned; ~ning)  Date: 1859  1.  a. to put in a ~ ; preserve by sealing in airtight ~s or jars ~ tomatoes  b. to hit (a golf shot) into the cup  c. to hit (a shot) in basketball  2. to discharge from employment  3. slang to put a stop or end to  • ~ner noun  IV. abbreviation  1. ~celed; ~cellation  2. ~non  3. ~to