can
- noun
- /kæn/
- Slang
- I been in the can for two and a half years.
Examples
-
-Hey, is he still in the can?
-
I gotta go to the can.
-
Payphone's in back by the can.
-
So, you're saving the world in a garbage can?
-
Gibbons must be in the can, so check that first before getting alarmed.
Fiction book (1991) -
I can't believe how dirty the can is; it needs a thorough cleaning.
-
She always keeps a magazine in the can for some reading while she is in there.
-
After the party, everyone rushed to the can to freshen up.
Synonyms
A room in a house with a toilet, sink, and a bath or shower
A small room with a bowl and sink where people go to pee or poo
A small toilet that young children use while learning
A room with a toilet that people use to go to the bathroom
An informal joking word for a toilet
A toilet in informal speech
A room with a toilet and a sink for washing hands
A small outdoor toilet in a separate building
A portable toilet used at a bedside for people who cannot reach a bathroom
A small room with a toilet for people to use
A room with a toilet and sink
An outdoor toilet often in a small building behind a house
A slang word for a simple outdoor toilet often found at campsites or gas stations
A small private room for using the toilet
A portable toilet with a removable waste container
Idioms
- Offensive
To attack or punish someone suddenly and violently, often for something they did
- Informal
To not recognize someone at all because you have never met them
Compounds
A small metal or plastic container that holds liquid under pressure and sprays a fine mist
- Literature
Putting off dealing with a difficult issue instead of making a decision now
A 2002 American film by Steven Spielberg starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks
- Specialized
A place on a computer where deleted files stay before they are removed for good
- Specialized
A floating marker like a metal drum that shows a channel edge or danger in the water
How Formal
Surface Forms
Etymology
One popular story says the slang can for a toilet comes from old metal or wooden boxes used as outdoor toilets, so people began using can as a short, casual word for the bathroom.