cannonball
Americannoun
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cannonballs
plural
adjective
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made from a curled-up position with the arms pressing the knees against one's chest.
a cannonball dive.
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moving at great speed.
a train known as a cannonball express.
noun
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a projectile fired from a cannon: usually a solid round metal shot
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tennis
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a very fast low serve
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( as modifier )
a cannonball serve
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a jump into water by a person who has his arms tucked into the body to form a ball
verb
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to rush along, like a cannonball
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to execute a cannonball jump
adjective
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of cannonball
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“We need to have the basic things,” said Biniam Girmay, a high-speed cannonball from Eritrea who in 2024 won three sprint stages at the Tour de France.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025
Instead of casually wading into the shallow end, skimming the surface with tepid bits of history about Mansfield’s life and career, Hargitay opts for a cannonball.
From Salon ● Jun. 27, 2025
Last week Collins had talked about a funny memory with the Wolverines, how Harbaugh finished a spring practice by doing a cannonball off the high dive at the school’s pool.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 12, 2025
Here they tautologically come, slowly walking down the hall, faster than a cannonball.
From BBC ● Dec. 31, 2024
The unopposed pressure launched the airlock like a cannonball as the Hab's atmosphere explosively escaped through the breach.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
There were no cannonballs Saturday, only a franchise that once again was deep-sixed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 12, 2025
Over the last week, both artists’ camps launched new items like cannonballs.
From New York Times ● May 28, 2024
The location where the cannonballs were found was formerly a Raytheon company location, according to The Boston Globe.
From Washington Times ● Nov. 28, 2023
For years, it was unclear why, but a new study suggests jet expulsions of hot matter burped out like cosmic cannonballs are behind it.
From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2023
It tells the story of a place that was working iron and steel so far back that it made cannonballs for the Union army.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
