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canette

can (of drink)

noun kah-NET Rare
Food & Drink Drinks

Origin: Diminutive of cane (female duck), applied by shape analogy to small containers.

Also means

small duck, duckling

Usage Note

Canette most commonly means a can of beer or soft drink in everyday speech: une canette de bière. The same word also means a small female duck or duckling, and a bobbin or spool of thread in sewing contexts. Context makes the meaning clear. The masculine canot is unrelated (it means a small boat).

Examples

"Il boit une canette de bière."

Natural Translation

He is drinking a can of beer.

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