canton

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: can=ton

CIDE DICTIONARY

canton, n. 

 A song or canto  [1913 Webster]
"Write loyal cantons of contemned love."  [1913 Webster]

canton, n. [F. canton, augm. of OF. cant edge, corner. See 1st Cant.].

•  A small portion; a division; a compartment.  [1913 Webster]

  "That little canton of land called the “English pale”"  [1913 Webster]

  "There is another piece of Holbein's, . . . in which, in six several cantons, the several parts of our Savior's passion are represented."  [1913 Webster]
•  A small community or clan.  [1913 Webster]
•  A small territorial district; esp. one of the twenty-two independent states which form the Swiss federal republic; in France, a subdivision of an arrondissement. See Arrondissement.  [1913 Webster]
•  A division of a shield occupying one third part of the chief, usually on the dexter side, formed by a perpendicular line from the top of the shield, meeting a horizontal line from the side.  [1913 Webster]

  "The king gave us the arms of England to be borne in a canton in our arms."  [1913 Webster]

canton, v. i. [Cf. F.cantonner.].

•  To divide into small parts or districts; to mark off or separate, as a distinct portion or division.  [1913 Webster]

  "They canton out themselves a little Goshen in the intellectual world."  [1913 Webster]
•  To allot separate quarters to, as to different parts or divisions of an army or body of troops.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

canton, n. & v.
--n.
1 a a subdivision of a country. b a State of the Swiss confederation.
2 Heraldry a square division, less than a quarter, in the upper (usu. dexter) corner of a shield.
--v.tr.
1 put (troops) into quarters.
2 divide into cantons.

Derivative

cantonal adj.

Etymology

OF, = corner (see CANT(2)): (v.) also partly f. F cantonner

THESAURUS

canton

Kreis, achievement, alerion, animal charge, annulet, archbishopric, archdiocese, argent, armorial bearings, armory, arms, arrondissement, azure, bailiwick, bandeau, bar, bar sinister, baton, bearings, bend, bend sinister, billet, bishopric, blazon, blazonry, bordure, borough, broad arrow, cadency mark, chaplet, charge, chevron, chief, city, coat of arms, cockatrice, commune, congressional district, constablewick, coronet, county, crescent, crest, cross, cross moline, crown, departement, device, difference, differencing, diocese, district, duchy, eagle, electoral district, electorate, ermine, ermines, erminites, erminois, escutcheon, falcon, fess, fess point, field, file, flanch, fleur-de-lis, fret, fur, fusil, garland, government, griffin, gules, gyron, hamlet, hatchment, helmet, heraldic device, honor point, hundred, impalement, impaling, inescutcheon, label, lion, lozenge, magistracy, mantling, marshaling, martlet, mascle, metal, metropolis, metropolitan area, motto, mullet, nombril point, oblast, octofoil, okrug, or, ordinary, orle, pale, paly, parish, pean, pheon, precinct, principality, province, purpure, quarter, quartering, region, riding, rose, sable, saltire, scutcheon, sheriffalty, sheriffwick, shield, shire, shrievalty, soke, spread eagle, stake, state, subordinary, tenne, territory, tincture, torse, town, township, tressure, unicorn, vair, vert, village, wapentake, ward, wreath, yale

ROGET THESAURUS

canton

Government

N government, legal authority, soveriegn, sovereign authority, authority, master, direction, national government, nation, state, country, nation- state, dominion, republic, empire, union, democratic republic, kingdom, principality, state government, state, shire, province, county, canton, territory, duchy, archduchy, archdukedom, woiwodshaft, commonwealth, region, property, county, parish city, domain, tract, arrondissement, mofussil, commune, wappentake, hundred, riding, lathe, garth, soke, tithing, ward, precinct, bailiwick, command, empire, sway, rule, dominion, domination, sovereignty, supremacy, suzerainty, lordship, headship, chiefdom, seigniory, seigniority, rule, sway, command, control, administer, govern, lead, preside over, reign, possess the throne, be seated on the throne, occupy the throne, sway the scepter, wield the scepter, wear the crown, state, realm, body politic, posse comitatus, judicature, cabinet, seat of government, seat of authority, headquarters, accession, installation, politics, reign, regime, dynasty, directorship, dictatorship, protectorate, protectorship, caliphate, pashalic, electorate, presidency, presidentship, administration, proconsul, consulship, prefecture, seneschalship, magistrature, magistracy, monarchy, kinghood, kingship, royalty, regality, aristarchy, aristocracy, oligarchy, democracy, theocracy, demagogy, commonwealth, dominion, heteronomy, republic, republicanism, socialism, collectivism, mob law, mobocracy, ochlocracy, vox populi, imperium in imperio, bureaucracy, beadledom, bumbledom, stratocracy, military power, military government, junta, feodality, feudal system, feudalism, thearchy, theocracy, dinarchy, duarchy, triarchy, heterarchy, duumvirate, triumvirate, autocracy, autonomy, limited monarchy, constitutional government, constitutional monarchy, home rule, representative government, monocracy, pantisocracy, gynarchy, gynocracy, gynaeocracy, petticoat government, legislature, judiciary, administration, office of the president, office of the prime minister, cabinet, senate, house of representatives, parliament, council, courts, supreme court, state, interior, labor, health and human services, defense, education, agriculture, justice, commerce, treasury, Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, National Institutes of Health, NIH, Postal Service, Post Office, Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, president, vice president, cabinet member, prime minister, minister, senator, representatative, president pro tem, speaker of the house, department head, section head, section chief, federal judge, justice, justice of the supreme court, chief justice, treasurer, secretary of the treasury, director of the FBI, governor, state cabinet member, state senator, assemblyman, assemblywoman, regal, sovereign, governing, royal, royalist, monarchical, kingly, imperial, imperiatorial, princely, feudal, aristocratic, autocratic, oligarchic, republican, dynastic, ruling, regnant, gubernatorial, imperious, authoritative, executive, administrative, clothed with authority, official, departmental, ex officio, imperative, peremptory, overruling, absolute, hegemonic, hegemonical, authorized, government, public, national, federal, his majesty's, her majesty's, state, county, city, N, a dog's obeyed in office, cada uno tiene su alguazil, le Roi le veut, regibus esse manus en nescio longas, regnant populi, the demigod Authority, the right divine of kings to govern wrong, uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.