Word Confusion: Can versus Ken

Plural for the noun: cans
Gerund: canning

Present participle for can [obsolete]

Third person present verb: cans
Past tense: canned
Past participle: canned, couth [obsolete] Present participle: canning

Plural for the noun: ken
Gerund: kenning

Third person present verb: kens
Past tense or past participle: kenned, kent
Present participle: kenning

Noun:
A cylindrical metal container

• A small steel or aluminum container in which food or drink is hermetically sealed for storage over long periods ^1a
• The quantity of food or drink held by a can
• A vessel for holding liquids
• 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 liquid or trash)
  • A receptacle for garbage, ashes, etc.
  • A bucket, pail, or other container for holding or carrying liquids
• A jar for packing or preserving fruit or vegetable
• A recessed lighting fixture

[North American; slang; the can] Prison, jail ^1b

[North American; slang, usually vulgar; the can] The toilet, bathroom ^1c

[North American; slang] Buttocks, rump, ass ^1d

[North American; slang] A destroyer ^1e

[Usually plural; informal] Headphone

A metal or plastic container for holding film on cores or reels

Verb, Modal:
Be able to ²

• Be able to through acquired knowledge or skill
• Be physically or mentally able to
• Have the opportunity or possibility to
  • Be made possible or probable by circumstances to
• Be permitted by conscience or feeling to
• Be inherently able or designed to
• [With negative or in questions] Used to express doubt or surprise about the possibility of something’s being the case
• Used to indicate that something is typically the case
• Be logically or axiologically able to
• Be enabled by law, agreement, or custom to

Be permitted to

Used to ask someone to do something

• Used to make a suggestion or offer

Verb, intransitive:
[Archaic] To have knowledge, fitness, or skill to perform a task

Used as an auxiliary to indicate permission or the right to something

Used as an auxiliary to indicate knowledge of how to do something

Used as an auxiliary to indicate the possibility, opportunity, or likelihood

Verb, transitive:
Preserve (food) in a can ¹, more specifically, ^1f

[North American; informal] Dismiss (someone) from their job, more specifically, ^1g

• Reject (something) as inadequate

[Golf] To hit (a golf shot) into the cup

[Basketball] To hit (a shot)

[Slang] To put a stop or end to

[Obsolete] Know

• Understand

[Slang] To throw (something) away

To record, as on film or tape

Noun:
One’s range of knowledge, vision, or sight ²

• Understanding
• Cognizance
• Mental perception

[Cant] A house where thieves meet ³

[Japanese; unit of measure] A traditional Japanese unit of length, that is now standardized as 1⁹⁄₁₁ meter ⁴

Noun, Proper:
Shortened version of a male given name ⁵

Verb, intransitive:
[British dialect] To have knowledge of something ²

• To understand
• Perceive

Verb, transitive:
[Scottish & Northern English; dialect] Know ²

• Recognize
• Identify

[Archaic] To see

The Roman Catholic Church abides by canon law, although if you were rich or powerful enough, can. didn’t have to apply to you.

Minstrels frequently sang a canto, poetry cans. such as Luís de Camões’ Os Lusíadas, Lord Byron’s Don Juan, Valmiki’s Ramayana, Dante’s The Divine Comedy, or Ezra Pound’s The Cantos.

We’ve got two different Can. passports here and a couple of Brits.

Noun:
Honey, can you put out the garbage cans?

I just opened that can of paint.

Do we still have those cans of French onion soup?

He drank two cans of beer.

Marion, where’s the watering can?

The cops threw him in the can.

I really gotta go to the can.

“. . . in his hand did bear a boozing can . . .” – Edmund Spenser

There should be a can of beans in the pantry.

Bring up a can of peaches, Mary.

Recessed cans in the ceiling help augment natural light.

He locked himself in the can and wouldn’t come out.

He needs a kick in the can.

Didja see that fat can on that broad?

Our boys served on a can during the battle.

I generally leave the noise-cancelling cans on even when I’m not listening to anything at all.

The film is in the can.

Jeez, that’ll open up a can of worms.

Verb, Modal:
They sure can run fast.

I could hear footsteps behind me.

Please, he can’t afford it.

He can lift 200 pounds.

I can speak Italian.

One can hardly blame her.

There are many ways vacationers can take money abroad.

He can’t have finished yet.

Where can she have gone?

Antique clocks can seem out of place in modern homes.

He could be very moody.

Sure, you can use the phone if you want to.

Nobody can legally drink on the premises.

Can you open the window?

Can’t you leave me alone?

We can have another drink if you like.

Well, 2 + 2 can also be written as 3 + 1.

Congress can declare war.

He can hardly have meant that.

Paula has everything that money can buy.

Verb, intransitive:
I can run a mile in under four minutes.

Can I have a drink?

He can speak three languages fluently.

My trainer says I can win the race if I really work hard.

Verb, transitive:
June is strawberry season, and we can strawberry jam.

He was canned because of a fight over a promotion.

The editorial team was so disappointed that they canned the project.

He canned that shot!

They were told to can the chatter.

The official abbreviation used by the post office is KY while others may use Ken. or Kent.

Noun:
Such determination is beyond my ken.

It’s an idea beyond one’s ken.

Nay, they denned that ken this past year.

A Zen butsuden is 5 ken across.

Noun, Proper:
Janie had a Barbie and Ken doll when she was a kid.

Ken Russell was an English movie director.

Kenneth Branagh is an amazing actor.

Kendall Jenner is one of those reality stars.

Verb, intransitive:
I ken just fine.

D’ye ken what’s about then, lad?

Verb, transitive:
D’ye ken anyone who can boast of that?

That’s him — d’ye ken him?

Aye, I ken yer meaning.

1. Old English canne meaning water container is related to the Dutch kan, the German Kanne, and the Old High German channa. It’s either of Germanic origin or from the late Latin canna.
   1a. 1867, meaning a modern air-tight vessel of tinned iron. Can-opener is from 1877.
   1b. 1910
   1c. 1900, said to be a shortening of pisscan.
   1d. 1910
   1e. 1930s, from sailors in the US Navy.
   1f. 1860, meaning to put up in cans.
   1g. 1905, meaning to fire an employee.
2. Unknown.

1. Circa 1874.
2. Old English cennan meaning tell, make known is of Germanic origin and related to the Dutch and the German kennen meaning know, be acquainted with, which is from an Indo-European root shared by the modal can ² and know.

   Current senses of the verb date from Middle English; the noun from the mid-16th century.

3. 1560s, probably a shortening of kennel.
4. Unknown
5. Unknown