What does canterbury mean?
A canterbury is a low, open piece of furniture designed to hold sheet music, magazines, or newspapers, typically featuring tiers, dividers, or compartments that keep items upright and accessible. First made popular in England during the early nineteenth century, the piece takes its name from the cathedral city of Canterbury, reflecting the fashion of naming household articles after celebrated places. In its classic form, a canterbury was a staple of the Victorian drawing room, standing beside the piano so that singers and players could reach their scores easily; today the term survives mostly in antique dealing, auction catalogues, and writing about period interiors, where it denotes both the traditional music stand and its later adaptation as a magazine rack. Though uncommon in everyday speech, the word carries an air of genteel, old-world charm and remains useful for anyone describing historic furnishings with precision.
nounA canterbury is a low open stand or rack, usually with partitions or tiers, used for holding sheet music, magazines, or newspapers. The name derives from the English cathedral city of Canterbury.
- A low open stand with tiers or divisions for storing sheet music.
- A similar stand or rack used for holding magazines, newspapers, or other reading material.
"The pianist kept her scores neatly arranged in a mahogany canterbury beside the instrument."
"She lifted the lid of the canterbury and pulled out a dog-eared volume of Chopin nocturnes."
"A wicker canterbury by the fireplace held the week's newspapers and illustrated journals."
The plural follows regular English patterns; it appears mainly in inventory lists and antique catalogue descriptions.
"The estate sale included two walnut canterburies, one fitted for folio volumes."
This humble piece of parlor furniture is named after a cathedral city — and even the horse gait called the "canter" traces back to the same town, once mocked as the "Canterbury gallop."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of canterbury
The word canterbury comes directly from the name of the English city of Canterbury in Kent, whose Old English form Cantwareburh meant "stronghold of the men of Kent." Furniture makers of the early nineteenth century adopted the place name for a new kind of music stand, much as they did with other eponymous and toponymous ware. The city's name also gave rise to the verb "canter," from the "Canterbury gallop," a leisurely pace associated with pilgrims riding toward the shrine of Thomas Becket.
How canterbury is actually used
The word is somewhat old-fashioned and chiefly British in flavor, appearing most often in descriptions of Victorian and Regency furnishings, antique catalogues, and interior-design writing. It always takes lowercase except when referring to the city itself.
Easily confused with canterbury
"Canter" is the smooth three-beat horse gait whose name actually derives from the "Canterbury gallop," whereas the noun "canterbury" is a piece of furniture for holding music or periodicals.
Capitalized "Canterbury" refers to the English city famous for its cathedral and Chaucer's Tales, while lowercase "canterbury" names the tiered furniture stand inspired by it.