canny

[ kan-ee ]

/ ˈkæn i /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR canny ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, can·ni·er, can·ni·est.

careful; cautious; prudent: a canny reply.

astute; shrewd; knowing; sagacious: a canny negotiator.

skilled; expert.

frugal; thrifty: a canny housewife.

Scot.

safe to deal with, invest in, or work at (usually used with a negative).
gentle; careful; steady.
snug; cozy; comfortable.
pleasing; attractive.
Archaic. having supernatural or occult powers.

adverb Also can·ni·ly.

in a canny manner.

Scot. carefully; cautiously.

Origin of canny

First recorded in 1630–40; can¹ + -y¹

OTHER WORDS FROM canny

can·ni·ness, noun o·ver·can·ny, adjective

Words nearby canny

cannot, cannula, cannular, cannulate, cannulation, canny, canoas, canoe, canoe birch, canoe slalom, canoewood

Example sentences from the Web for canniness

He was, in a way, a Paul Revere spreading intelligence, and with Scotch canniness made a good bargain for himself.

The Alaskan |James Oliver Curwood
The verses rang with New England canniness, and the familiar dialect acquired a dignity never before acknowledged.

Children's Stories in American Literature, 1660-1860 |Henrietta Christian Wright
People looked askance upon them as Scots, while innkeepers hated them for their poverty and their canniness.

The Great North Road: York to Edinburgh |Charles G. Harper
With the canniness of her new-found love, Avice approached the subject in a roundabout way.

The Mark of Cain |Carolyn Wells

Andrew Carnegie tells a good story illustrating the canniness of the Scot.

Among the Humorists and After Dinner Speakers, Vol. I |Various

British Dictionary definitions for canniness

canny

/ (ˈkænɪ) /

adjective -nier or -niest

shrewd, esp in business; astute or wary; knowing

Scot and Northeast English dialect good or nice: used as a general term of approval

Scot lucky or fortunate

adverb

Scot and Northeast English dialect quite; rather a canny long while

Derived forms of canny

cannily, adverb canniness, noun

Word Origin for canny

C16: from can 1 (in the sense: to know how) + -y 1

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

canny

adjective, can·ni·er, can·ni·est.

adverb Also can·ni·ly.

Origin of canny

OTHER WORDS FROM canny

Words nearby canny

Example sentences from the Web for canniness

British Dictionary definitions for canniness

adjective -nier or -niest

adverb

Derived forms of canny

Word Origin for canny

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

canny

adjective, can·ni·er, can·ni·est.

adverb Also can·ni·ly.

Origin of canny

OTHER WORDS FROM canny

Words nearby canny

Words related to canniness

Example sentences from the Web for canniness

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for canniness

adjective -nier or -niest

adverb

Derived forms of canny

Word Origin for canny

British Dictionary definitions for canniness