Canopy

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkæ.nə.pi/

Definitions

1. A protective covering of fabric or other material that extends outward from a structure or forms a shelter above an area
2. A covering made of fabric or similar materials that is extended over a space to offer shade or shelter from weather elements
3. A structure or material stretched above to provide shade or protection ; the topmost layer of leaves and branches in a woodland or forest ; the transparent cover that shields the cockpit of an airplane

Etymology: The most surprising thing about "canopy" is that it began as a mosquito net. In ancient Greek, "kōnōpeion" meant a bed net hung against insects, and it was built from "kōnōps", the word for mosquito. The Romans borrowed it as "cōnōpēum", and the sense of a protective cover over a bed or throne then spread outward, so that the word came to mean any hanging shade. Medieval Latin carried the word into Old French as "conopé", a canopy over a bed or altar, and English picked it up from there in Middle English, in forms such as "canape" and "canepie". Along the way the word split into two forms: "canapé", the small snack, is a doublet that came into English from French, while "canopy" kept the sense of an overhead covering. The snack's name is a reminder that the two words once shared a single ancestor.

Synonyms: cover, roof, shade, awning, overhang

Antonyms: exposure, opening, clear, uncovered, sky