canada
- 01 A1 Beginner
a large country in North America, known for its cold winters and beautiful nature.
A sovereign state in North America, the second-largest country in the world by total area. Proper noun; usually used without an article.
Simple“Many people visit Canada in the summer to see the Rocky Mountains.”
In context“Canada maintains a vast border with the United States, facilitating one of the world's most significant bilateral trade relationships.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
the name for British colonies in North America before they became one country.
Refers to the historical British colonies of Upper Canada and Lower Canada, which existed between 1791 and 1841. Often used in the plural as 'the Canadas' in historical contexts.
Simple“In history class, we learned about the division of Upper and Lower Canada.”
In context“The Constitutional Act of 1791 divided the province of Quebec into two separate colonies, known as the Canadas, to accommodate different legal traditions.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
a country that is very similar to a larger neighbor but gets less attention.
A metaphorical or informal reference to a country that shares cultural or linguistic similarities with a larger neighbor but is frequently overshadowed by it.
Simple“Some people jokingly call New Zealand the Canada of the South Pacific.”
In context“The political commentator described the smaller nation as a 'European Canada,' noting its quiet stability compared to the volatile superpower next door.”
Borrowed from French Canada, from the Laurentian kanata (“village, settlement”) (compare Onondaga gana꞉dá꞉yęʼ), ultimately from Proto-North Iroquoian *-nat-. See also "Name of Canada" on English Wikipedia.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.