canterbury

canterbury — noun

1. a city in southeast England, famous for Canterbury Cathedral, a large old church

1.nounB1
Definition

a city in southeast England, famous for Canterbury Cathedral, a large old church that is the main centre of the Christian faith in England.

Example

Thousands of tourists visit Canterbury Cathedral every year to see its beautiful stained-glass windows.

collocation: Canterbury Cathedral + stained-glass windows

Each year, the Archbishop of Canterbury leads important services at the city's thousand-year-old cathedral.

collocation: the Archbishop of Canterbury + leads services

Common collocations
  • Canterbury Cathedral
  • the Archbishop of Canterbury
  • the Canterbury Tales
  • Canterbury Pilgrims
  • Canterbury Christ Church University

Usage Note

Canterbury is a proper noun and is always capitalised. As a city name, it typically appears without an article: 'She lives in Canterbury.' The definite article 'the' is used in fixed expressions such as 'the Archbishop of Canterbury' and 'the Canterbury Tales'. After Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was killed inside the cathedral in 1170, the city became a special place for Christian visitors to travel to.

Common Mistakes

I visited the canterbury cathedral last summer.
I visited Canterbury Cathedral last summer.
'Canterbury' and 'Canterbury Cathedral' are proper nouns and must be capitalised.

Common collocations

Nouns

  • Canterbury Cathedral
  • the Archbishop of Canterbury
  • the Canterbury Tales
  • Canterbury city centre
  • Canterbury district

Phrases

  • the Diocese of Canterbury
  • the University of Canterbury
  • the See of Canterbury

Prepositions

  • in Canterbury
  • at Canterbury
  • near Canterbury
  • from Canterbury
  • to Canterbury

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

From Old English Cantwareburh, meaning 'fortress of the people of Kent'. The name combines Cantware (the inhabitants of Kent) with burh (a fortified settlement or stronghold).