Canute
noun /kəˈnjuːt/
/kəˈnuːt/
- a Danish king of England (1017–35). He is remembered for standing in front of the sea in order to show people that he was not able to order the water that was moving in towards the land to turn back. The story is often changed to suggest that Canute really thought that he could turn back the sea.
- Like Canute, the prime minister will not be able to turn this tide.