Definition of "canopy" []

• A covering, usually of cloth, suspended over a throne or bed or held aloft on poles above an eminent person or a sacred object. (noun)
• Architecture An ornamental rooflike projection over a niche, altar, or tomb. (noun)
• A protective rooflike covering, often of canvas, mounted on a frame over a walkway or door. (noun)
• A high overarching covering, such as the sky: "I just look up at the stars and let the vastness of that black and twinkling canopy fill my soul” ( Margaret Mason). (noun)
• The uppermost layer in a forest, formed by the crowns of the trees. Also called crown canopy. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "One of the surprising things I discovered is if you pull back with me on those mats of epiphytes what you'll find underneath them are connections, networks of what we call canopy roots."
• "A painted plaster corset she was forced to wear to support her deteriorating spine presides over her bed, and under the canopy is a mirror which enabled her to paint her many self portraits."
• "Several feet of space between the roof and tree canopy is much safer."