water cannon

American

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.

water cannon British

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

Etymology

Origin of water cannon

First recorded in 1965–70

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:

water cannon

Chinese vessels have also used water cannon and other tactics to ward off Philippine boats from disputed features.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

A chest full of gold doubloons and a water cannon are included.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

On Thursday, the Philippines accused the China Coast Guard of employing water cannon and dangerous manoeuvres at Scarborough.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

The Berlin police used water cannon to help residents of the capital cool off on Saturday and will repeat the operation on Sunday.

From Barron's ● Jun. 28, 2026

He wore a black ski mask and carried a large, complex green water cannon.

From "Paper Towns" by John Green

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023