a mounted gun for firing heavy projectiles; a gun, howitzer, or mortar.
British Machinery. quill.
Armor. a cylindrical or semicylindrical piece of plate armor for the upper arm or forearm; a vambrace or rerebrace.
Also called canon bit. Also called cannon bit,. a round bit for a horse.
the part of a bit that is in the horse's mouth.
(on a bell) the metal loop by which a bell is hung.
Zoology.
the part of the leg in which the cannon bone is situated.
British. a carom in billiards.
Underworld Slang. a pickpocket.
to discharge cannon.
British. to make a carom in billiards.
Annie Jump 1863–1941, U.S. astronomer.
Joseph Gurney Uncle Joe, 1836–1926, U.S. politician and legislator.
an automatic aircraft gun of large calibre
history a heavy artillery piece consisting of a metal tube mounted on a carriage
a heavy tube or drum, esp one that can rotate freely on the shaft by which it is supported
the metal loop at the top of a bell, from which it is suspended
See cannon bone
billiards
a shot in which the cue ball is caused to contact one object ball after another
Usual US and Canadian word: carom. the points scored by this
a rebound or bouncing back, as of a ball off a wall
either of the two parts of a vambrace
to collide (with)
short for cannonade
(intr) billiards to make a cannon
First recorded in 1375–1425 (earlier in Anglo-Latin, Anglo-French ); late Middle English canon, from Middle French, from Italian cannone, equivalent to cann(a) “tube” (from Latin ) + -one augmentative suffix; see cane
A cannon is a large gun that fires heavy metal shells or other projectiles. Originally it was attached to wheels and pulled by men. More recently, cannon refers to the largest gun on a tank or the automatic guns on a plane. All cannons, however old they are, have basically the same shape — a long, thick tube. Not surprising, then, that the term comes from the Latin word canna, meaning "tube" or "reed." Do not confuse with the word canon, with one n, which is a term of classification, as in its most common usage, "the literary canon."
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Two other ships, the BRP Datu Cabaylo and the BRP Cape San Agustin, were also targeted with water cannon but not hit, the coast guard said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
“Currently the logic is not to escalate, and when you put in a player that is a loose cannon in the mix, you lose control of the situation.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Ex-Canadian MP Inky Mark has been arrested after police found a trove of guns, ammunition and an antique cannon along with thousands of dollars in cash in his home.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
The cannon fires once more, and 2029’s plebes are plebes no more.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026
The bang was like a cannon blast, and the golden flames that erupted between them, at the dead center of the circle they had been treading, marked the point where the spells collided.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
District Judge Aileen Cannon agreed, reiterating that “the allegedly infringed material — basic ideas, themes, metaphors, isolated words, and short phrases — is not protected expression and cannot be infringed.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
To collaborate with them, especially Willie, because I produced a record on him with Buddy Cannon… If you’d told me, one day I’d be doing that?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
I guess they’re hoping to get Judge Aileen Cannon.
From Slate ● May 26, 2026
“We need Aave to survive,” said Nick Cannon, chief business officer at Gauntlet, a crypto risk management firm.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026
As we passed along the Road, we heard the Battle commence in Earnest, the Field-Pieces answering Parliament’s Cannon.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
The Berlin police used water cannons to help residents of the capital cool off for a second day running Sunday -- this time at the Olympia venue where singer Bruno Mars was performing.
From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026
In Berlin, police deployed two water cannons to spray mist onto people.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
The agency partnered with a company in Texas to use their water cannons — which are typically used on burning oil rigs — to bring them to Southern California.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
The Madis system combines radar, Stinger missiles, electronic warfare, and cannons firing specialized 30mm proximity fuze rounds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026
Slightly submerged, it was now so close to the enemy ship that the Housatonic’s twelve cannons were useless.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
The batters' struggles were exemplified by a delivery from New Zealand seamer Matt Henry that barely bounced above ankle height and cannoned into the stumps, giving England's Jacob Bethell's no chance.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
Dimarco almost scored himself on 18 minutes but his free-kick cannoned back off the crossbar.
From Barron's ● Feb. 8, 2026
Ibrahima Konate made a complete hash of a pass inside his own half, allowing Ricardo Pepi to race clear for a shot that cannoned back off the post to Driouech, who gleefully slotted home.
From Barron's ● Nov. 26, 2025
Fulham’s Issa Diop went down injured but the Blades refused to kick the ball out and Yasser Larouci’s dangerous cross cannoned off Robinson into his own net.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 7, 2023
And so he stumbled and nearly fell as she gasped and cannoned into Allun, standing still and almost invisible in the dimness.
From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda
However, Hanna Bennison soon reduced City's lead with a wonderful effort from distance, the ball cannoning off of the crossbar and into the net.
From BBC ● Mar. 2, 2024
Croatia should have scored more, with Perisic's shot from a tight angle cannoning back off the crossbar in what proved a vital moment.
From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2023
He cracked forehands from a sturdy crouch, his swing full and flowing, the ball cannoning down the sidewall to expire in the back corner, repetitious as a gif.
From The New Yorker ● Jan. 18, 2016
Cabaye, waiting on the edge of the area, thumped the ball back, his shot cannoning off the crossbar.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 30, 2014
The ladder fell sideways, cannoning into another one that had been set up beside it.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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.
