a country in North America: the second largest country in the world; first permanent settlements by Europeans were made by the French from 1605; ceded to Britain in 1763 after a series of colonial wars; established as the Dominion of Canada in 1867; a member of the Commonwealth. It consists generally of sparsely inhabited tundra regions, rich in natural resources, in the north, the Rocky Mountains in the west, the Canadian Shield in the east, and vast central prairies; the bulk of the population is concentrated along the US border and the Great Lakes in the south. Official languages: English and French; indigenous languages also spoken. Religion: Christian majority. Currency: Canadian dollar. Capital: Ottawa. Pop: 36 624 199 (2017 est). Area: 9 976 185 sq km (3 851 809 sq miles)
Canada in American English
(ˈkænədə)
country in N North America: complete British control achieved, 1763; dominion established, 1867; complete autonomy, 1931: member of the Commonwealth: 3,849,671 sq mi (9,970,610 sq km); pop. 28,847,000; cap. Ottawa
Word origin
Fr < L, a word for village in an extinct (before 1600) Iroquoian language of the lowerSt. Lawrence River valley
(in Canada ) July 1, the anniversary of the day in 1867 when Canada became the first British colony to receive dominion status : a bank holiday
Canada jay
a large common jay of North America , Perisoreus canadensis, with a grey body, and a white-and-black crestless head
Canada lily
a lily , Lilium canadense, of NE North America , with small orange funnel-shaped nodding flowers
Canada lynx
a North American lynx ( Lynx lynx canadensis ) with tufted ears and a stubby tail
Canada balsam
a yellow transparent resin obtained from the balsam fir . Because its refractive index is similar to that of glass, it is used as an adhesive in optical devices and as a mounting medium for microscope specimens
Canada goose
a large common greyish-brown North American goose , Branta canadensis, with a black neck and head and a white throat patch
French Canada
the areas of Canada , esp in the province of Quebec , where French Canadians predominate
Lower Canada
(from 1791 to 1841) the official name of the S region of the present-day province of Quebec
Upper Canada
(1791–1841) the official name of the region of Canada lying southwest of the Ottawa River and north of the lower Great Lakes
Canada thistle
a prickly European weed ( Cirsium arvense ) of the composite family, with heads of purplish flowers and wavy leaves: now common as a fast-spreading, injurious weed throughout the N U.S.
Canada mayflower
a small wildflower ( Maianthemum canadense ) of the lily family, with white flowers and red, beadlike berries , found in the N U.S. and in Canada ; bead-ruby
Order of Canada
an order awarded to Canadians for outstanding achievement ; established in 1967
whisky-jack
a large common jay of North America , Perisoreus canadensis, with a grey body, and a white-and-black crestless head
United Church of Canada
the largest Protestant denomination in Canada , formed in the 1920s by incorporating some Presbyterians and most Methodists
Block Parent Program of Canada
→ the Block Parent Program of Canada
the Block Parent Program of Canada
(in Canada ) a registered charity and child-safety organization
gray jay
a large North American jay ( Perisoreus canadensis ) with gray and black feathers and no crest
balsam fir
a fir tree, Abies balsamea , of NE North America , that yields Canada balsam
creeping thistle
a weedy Eurasian thistle , Cirsium arvense, common as a fast-spreading weed in the US