Canner

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkænəɹ/

Definitions

1. A machine or individual that processes food by sealing it in airtight containers for long-term storage
2. An operator or device that secures food inside metal containers to ensure it lasts without spoiling
3. One who or that which places food into sealed tins to maintain freshness over time

Etymology: Before "canner" meant someone who preserves food in tins, it named a maker of cans, the metal drinking vessels and containers that gave the trade its name. The word's root is "can," which came into Middle English from the noun "canne," and the suffix "-er" was attached to name the person who made or worked with the object. The suffix did the rest of the work. "-er" is a flexible ending that turns a noun into a person connected with it, as in "baker" or "banker," so a worker who handled cans simply became a canner. Once the sealed tin became the main way of keeping food, the same ending was naturally applied to the people who filled and sealed those tins. The modern senses reflect other meanings the suffix carries, so a canner can now be a worker in a food-preserving plant, a person who cans food at home, or the machine or device used for the process.

Synonyms: preserver, jar, bottler