canny

Meanings

Adjective

• Careful, prudent, cautious.
• Knowing, shrewd, astute.
• Frugal, thrifty.
• Pleasant, fair, favorable or agreeable to deal with.
• Gentle, quiet, steady.
• Sounding as if it is coming through a tin can.

Adverb

• Very, considerably; quite, rather.
• Gently, quietly; carefully, skilfully.

Origin

• Northern English dialect, from can (+ -y), from Middle English can, first and third person singular of cunnen, from Old English cunnan ("to know how to, be able to"). Compare Scots canny, Old English cann ("knowledge, assertion"). More at can, cunning.
• can + -y