Canny Definition
kănē
cannier, canniest
adjective
cannier, canniest
Careful and shrewd in one's actions and dealings; clever and cautious.
Webster's New World
Careful with money; thrifty.
Webster's New World
Careful in action; gentle; easy; quiet.
Webster's New World
Snug and quiet.
American Heritage
Good; nice; fine.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
adverb
In a canny or cautious manner.
Webster's New World
idiom
ca' canny
- call “canny”; hence, go cautiously
- the tactic, as by a labor union, of intentionally slowing down factory production
Webster's New World
Other Word Forms of Canny
Adjective
Base Form:
canny
Comparative:
cannierSuperlative:
canniestIdioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Canny
- ca' canny
Origin of Canny
-
Northern English dialect from can (“to know”), from Middle English can, first and third person singular of cunnen, connen (“to be able, know how to”), from Old English cunnan (“to know how to, be able to”). Compare Scots canny, Old English cann (“knowledge, assertion”). More at can, cunning.
From Wiktionary
From can
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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