Canopy Comes From the Greek Word for Mosquito
A canopy is a covering overhead. Its name goes back to a bed net used against mosquitoes in ancient Egypt.
A canopy is a covering suspended or supported above something. The origin is entomological: Greek *konopeion* meant a bed with a mosquito net, from *konops*, a gnat. Herodotus described Egyptians sleeping under such nets, and the word for a protection against insects became the word for anything overhead.
- An overhead covering. *A fabric canopy.*
- The top layer of a forest. *The rainforest canopy.*
- A parachute's fabric. *The canopy deployed.*
- An aircraft cockpit cover. *The canopy shattered.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | canopy | A shaded canopy. |
| Plural | canopies | Market canopies. |
| Verb | canopy | Canopied by leaves. |
| Related | awning | A striped awning. |
| Related | understorey | The forest understorey. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Most rainforest life is in the canopy.Ecology.
- The canopy opened cleanly.Parachuting.
- A canopy shelters the entrance.Architecture.
Forest layers
- Emergent — the tallest trees breaking through
- Canopy — the continuous upper layer, holding most of the wildlife
- Understorey — smaller trees below
- Shrub layer — bushes and saplings
- Forest floor — dark, damp and rapidly decomposing
From Medieval Latin *canopeum*, from Greek *konopeion*, a bed with mosquito curtains, from *konops*, a gnat.
Is the canopy really the richest forest layer?
Yes. A large share of rainforest species live there, many never descending to the ground.
Canopy or awning?
An awning is usually attached to a building and often retractable. A canopy may be freestanding or suspended.