Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense, plural cannons, present participle cannoning, past tense, past participle cannoned
1. countable noun
A cannon is a large gun, usually on wheels, which used to be used in battles.
2. countable noun
A cannon is a heavy automatic gun, especially one that is fired from an aircraft.
3. verb
If one person or thing cannons into another, they bump into them with great force.
One of the reporters cannoned into Arnold. [VERB preposition]
The ball cannoned off the back of a Spartak defender and into the net. [VERB preposition]
4.
See a loose cannon
5. See also water cannon
More Synonyms of cannon
cannon in British English
(ˈkænən)
nounWord forms: plural-nons or -non
1.
an automatic aircraft gun of large calibre
2. history
a heavy artillery piece consisting of a metal tube mounted on a carriage
3.
a heavy tube or drum, esp one that can rotate freely on the shaft by which it is supported
4.
the metal loop at the top of a bell, from which it is suspended
5. cannon bone
6. billiards
a.
a shot in which the cue ball is caused to contact one object ball after another
b.
the points scored by this
Usual US and Canadian word: carom
7.
a rebound or bouncing back, as of a ball off a wall
8.
either of the two parts of a vambrace
verb
9. (intransitive; often foll byinto)
to collide (with)
10. short for cannonade
11. (intransitive) billiards
to make a cannon
Word origin
C16: from Old French canon, from Italian cannone cannon, large tube, from canna tube, cane1
Cannon in American English
(ˈkænən)
ˈJoseph Gurney (ˈgɜrni) 1836-1926; U.S. congressman
cannon in American English
(ˈkænən)
nounWord forms: pluralˈcannons or ˈcannon
1.
a.
a large, mounted piece of artillery; sometimes, specif., a large gun with a relatively short barrel, as a howitzer
b.
an automatic gun, mounted on an aircraft
2.
a part on a bell by which it is hung
3.
cannon bone
4. Mechanics
a hollow tube within which a shaft revolves independently of the outer tube
5. Billiards; British
carom
verb transitive
6.
to attack with cannon fire
7. British
to cause to carom
verb intransitive
8.
to fire cannon
9. British
to make a carom
Word origin
ME & OFr canon < It cannone < canna: see cane; in cannon (sense 5) & cannon (sense 7), cannon (sense 9), altered < carom
More idioms containing
cannon
a loose cannon
cannon fodder
Examples of 'cannon' in a sentence
cannon
He was going well in the race last year but a loose horse cannoned into him and he came down.
The Sun (2017)
But the loose cannon ignored them and spent the night before his death enjoying a pint in the Markets area of Belfast.
The Sun (2016)
They likewise claimed that they were tricked into fighting their fellow citizens and used as cannon fodder.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Cole is not so much a loose cannon as one with the shell stuck in the breach.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Just how will the loose cannon react?
The Sun (2015)
One of her cannon landed three and a half miles away.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
But they were more than just cannon fodder.
Arthur Herman THE SCOTTISH ENLIGHTENMENT: The Scots' Invention of the Modern World (2002)
As if this justifies our treating them as cannon fodder.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Totally loose cannon, more like it.
The Sun (2012)
He was denied a winner in the third minute of added time when his 25-yarder cannoned back off the inside of the post.
The Sun (2012)
Cannon and artillery fire rang around the venue, which had a 6,000 crowd.
The Sun (2016)
A new and tantalising mystery emerged too, prompted by a set of initials found engraved on one of the cannon.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
There was only enough room in the wings to carry sixty cannon rounds per gun, but they were 20 mm in calibre and usually explosive.
Patrick Bishop FIGHTER BOYS: Saving Britain 1940 (2003)
In other languages
cannon
British English: cannon NOUN
A cannon is a large gun, usually on wheels, which used to be used in battles.
The cannons boom, the band plays.
American English: cannon
Brazilian Portuguese: canhão
Chinese: 大炮
European Spanish: cañón
French: canon
German: Kanone
Italian: cannone
Japanese: 大砲
Korean: 대포
European Portuguese: canhão
Latin American Spanish: cañón
All related terms of 'cannon'
cannon bone
a bone in the legs of horses and other hoofed animals consisting of greatly elongated fused metatarsals or metacarpals
cannon-shot
the range of a cannon
drop cannon
a shot in which the first object ball joins or gathers with the cue ball and the other object ball, esp at the top of the table
snow cannon
a device used to create and project artificial snow for skiing
cannon fodder
If someone in authority regards people they are in charge of as cannon fodder , they do not care if these people are harmed or lost in the course of their work.
light cannon
a particularly powerful torch , spotlight , or searchlight
loose cannon
a person or thing that appears to be beyond control and is potentially a source of unintentional damage
water cannon
A water cannon is a machine which shoots out a large, powerful stream of water. It is used by police to break up crowds of people who are protesting or fighting .
nursery cannon
a room in a house set apart for use by children
a loose cannon
If someone is a loose cannon , they do whatever they want and nobody can predict what they are going to do.
cannonball
A cannonball is a heavy metal ball that is fired from a cannon.