cannon
Meaning
-
- A complete assembly, consisting of an artillery tube and a breech mechanism, firing mechanism or base cap, which is a component of a gun, howitzer or mortar. It may include muzzle appendages.
- Any similar device for shooting material out of a tube.
- Any similar device for shooting material out of a tube.
- A bone of a horse's leg, between the fetlock joint and the knee or hock.
- A cannon bit.
- A large muzzle-loading artillery piece.
- A carom.
- (informal) The arm of a player who can throw well.
- A hollow cylindrical piece carried by a revolving shaft, on which it may, however, revolve independently.
- A cylindrical item of plate armor protecting the arm, particularly one of a pair of such cylinders worn with a couter, the upper cannon protecting the upper arm and the lower cannon protecting the forearm.
- Alternative form of canon (“a large size of type”)
- A piece which moves horizontally and vertically like a rook but captures another piece by jumping over a different piece in the line of attack.
- (slang) A pickpocket.
Synonyms
large gun
gun piece
heavy artillery
barrel assembly
heavy calibre bullet
brave soldier
piece of ordnance
gun tube
cannon barrel
Frequency
Pronounced as (IPA)
/ˈkæn.ən/
Etymology
In summary
Attested from around 1400 as Middle English canon, canoun, from Old French canon, from Italian cannone, from Latin canna, from Ancient Greek κάννα (kánna, “reed”), from Akkadian 𒄀 (qanû, “reed”), from Sumerian 𒄀𒈾 (gi.na). Doublet of canyon. This spelling was not fixed until about 1800.
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Notes