canterbury

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US/ˈkæntəɹbəɹi/UK/ˈkæntəb(ə)ɹɪ/New Zealand/ˈkɛntəb(ə)ɹi/

noun

A rack for magazines or other papers, usually wooden, often done as a decorative piece.

CommonScrabble 17

Meanings

canterbury1

nouncanterbury (plural canterburys or canterburies)

plural canterburys · plural canterburies

  1. A rack for magazines or other papers, usually wooden, often done as a decorative piece.

    “[…] But are you prepared to abandon the most sacred duties of life, and come and sing with us?” “Oh, yes,” said Lucy, laughing. “If you will look out the ‘Beggar’s Opera’ from the large canterbury. It has a dingy cover.”

    1860, George Eliot, The Mill on the Floss, Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons

Canterbury2

proper noun
  1. A cathedral city in Kent, England (OS grid ref TR1457).
  2. A local government district with borough status in Kent, England, the City of Canterbury, formed in 1974, with its headquarters in the city itself.
  3. The episcopal see of Canterbury or the occupant thereof (the full title used for the archbishop).
  4. metonymicallyThe Anglican Communion.
  5. A small settlement in the Shire of Barcoo, Queensland, Australia.
  6. A region in the South Island, New Zealand.

    A New Zealand linguistics doctorate graduate from the University of Canterbury has completed a world-first study into colloquial Antarctic English, spoken at the US, British and New Zealand Antarctic research stations.

    2024 June 20, Eva Corlett, “Fidlets, fingies and riding a doo: study sheds light on Antarctic English slang”, in The Guardian
  7. A locality in the United States.

Origin

canterbury · noun

From Canterbury in Kent, England.

Full word history & related roots →

Canterbury · proper noun

  1. Old EnglishCantwara burg
  2. Middle EnglishCaunterbury
  3. EnglishCanterbury

From Middle English Caunterbury, Canterburi, from Old English Cantwara burg.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic كانتربيري
  • كانتربيري (kantirbiri)cathedral city in England
Bulgarian Кентърбъри
  • Кентърбъри (Kentărbări)cathedral city in England
Chinese Mandarin 坎特伯雷
  • 坎特伯雷 (Kǎntèbóléi)cathedral city in England
Czech Canterbury
  • Canterburycathedral city in England
Dutch Kantelberg
  • Kantelbergcathedral city in England
Finnish Canterbury
  • Canterburycathedral city in England
French Cantorbéry
  • Cantorbérycathedral city in England
Greek Κάντερμπερι, Καντερβουρία
  • Κάντερμπερι (Kántermperi)cathedral city in England
  • Καντερβουρία (Kantervouría)cathedral city in England
Icelandic Kantaraborg
  • Kantaraborgcathedral city in England
Italian Canterbury
  • Canterburycathedral city in England
Japanese カンタベリー
  • カンタベリー (Kantaberī)cathedral city in England
Korean 캔터베리
  • 캔터베리 (kaenteoberi)cathedral city in England
Latin Durovernum, Cantuāria
  • Durovernumcathedral city in England
  • Cantuāriacathedral city in England
Latvian Kenterberija
  • Kenterberijacathedral city in England
Lithuanian Kenterberis
  • Kenterberiscathedral city in England
Polish Canterbury
  • Canterburycathedral city in England
Portuguese Cantuária
  • Cantuáriacathedral city in England
Punjabi ਕੈਂਟਰਬਰੀ
  • ਕੈਂਟਰਬਰੀ (kaiṇṭrabarī)cathedral city in England
Russian Ке́нтербери
  • Ке́нтербери (Kénterberi)cathedral city in England
Spanish Canterbury, Cantórbery
  • Canterburycathedral city in England
  • Cantórberycathedral city in England
Tagalog Kanterbury
  • Kanterburycathedral city in England
Ukrainian Ке́нтербері
  • Ке́нтербері (Kénterberi)cathedral city in England
Welsh Caergaint
  • Caergaintcathedral city in England
Cite this entry
APA

canterbury. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/canterbury

MLA

“canterbury.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/canterbury. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “canterbury,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/canterbury.

Source: canterbury on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.