water cannon

Save This Word!

noun

a truck-mounted hose or pipe that shoots a jet of water through a nozzle at extremely high pressure, used especially in dispersing rioters or demonstrators.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of water cannon

First recorded in 1965–70

Words nearby water cannon

water buffalo, water bug, Waterbury, water-bus, water butt, water cannon, water carrier, water chestnut, water chinquapin, water clock, water closet

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use water cannon in a sentence

Police in 2015 used tear gas and water cannons against people who were about to participate in another Istanbul Pride march.
State Department criticizes latest Istanbul Pride crackdown|Michael K. Lavers|June 28, 2021|Washington Blade
In recent weeks, Molotov cocktails, bricks and bottles have met barricades and water cannons as towns and cities in Northern Ireland faced some of their worst rioting in years.
What the Protests in Northern Ireland Could Mean for the Future of Its Peace|Ian Bremmer|April 15, 2021|Time
Fluoride first entered an American water supply through a rather inelegant technocratic scheme.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
When cities started adding chlorine to their water supplies, in the early 1900s, it set off public outcry.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST

Before anti-vaxxers, there were anti-fluoriders: a group who spread fear about the anti-tooth decay agent added to drinking water.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
Placed in drinking water, fluoride can serve people who otherwise have poor access to dental care.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
In secret, before the referendum, the council went ahead and fluoridated the water anyway.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
Urbanity ushers in water that needs no apology, and gives a zest to the worst vintage.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
The two women had no intention of bathing; they had just strolled down to the beach for a walk and to be alone and near the water.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
Mrs. Woodbury paints in oils and water-colors; the latter are genre scenes, and among them are several Dutch subjects.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
Many of their cannon balls that fell far short of us, were collected and returned to them with powerful effect.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
But there was a breeze blowing, a choppy, stiff wind that whipped the water into froth.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin

British Dictionary definitions for water cannon

water cannon

noun

an apparatus for pumping water through a nozzle at high pressure, used in quelling riots

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012