canton Hear it!

canton definition

can·ton (kan′tən, -tän′; kan tän′; for vt. 2 kan tän′, -tōn′ & Brit, kən to̵̅o̅n′)

noun

  1. any of the political divisions of a country or territory; specif.,
    1. any of the states in the Swiss Republic
    2. a division of an arrondissement in France
    1. Heraldry a small, square section of a shield, usually in the upper dexter corner
    2. a rectangular section in a flag, in the upper corner nearest the staff

Etymology: Fr < It cantone < LL cantus: see cant

transitive verb

  1. to divide into cantons
  2. to assign quarters to (troops, etc.); quarter

Related Forms:

Canton definition

Can·ton (kan tän′; for 2 kant′'n)

  1. Guangzhou

  2. Etymology: after Canton, suburb of Boston, named for the Chinese city

    city in EC Ohio: pop. 81,000

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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