Cannon
A cannon (plural: cannon or cannons) is a type of gun classified as artillery that launches a projectile using propellant. In the past, gunpowder was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during the 19th century. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees, depending on their intended use on the battlefield. The word cannon is derived from several languages, in which the original definition can usually be translated as tube, cane, or reed. In the modern era, the term cannon has fallen into decline, replaced by guns or artillery if not a more specific term such as mortar or howitzer, except for high calibre automatic weapons firing bigger rounds than machine guns, called autocannons.
The earliest known depiction of cannon appeared in Song dynasty China as early as the 12th century, however solid archaeological and documentary evidence of cannon do not appear until the 13th century. In 1288 Yuan dynasty troops are recorded to have used hand cannons in combat, and the earliest extant cannon bearing a date of production comes from the same period. By 1326 depictions of cannon had also appeared in Europe and almost immediately recorded usage of cannon began appearing. By the end of the 14th century cannon were widespread throughout Eurasia. Cannon were used primarily as anti-infantry weapons until around 1374 when cannon were recorded to have breached walls for the first time in Europe. Cannon featured prominently as siege weapons and ever larger pieces appeared. In 1464 a 16,000 kg (35273.962 lbs) cannon known as the Great Turkish Bombard was created in the Ottoman Empire. Cannon as field artillery became more important after 1453 with the introduction of limber, which greatly improved cannon maneuverability and mobility. European cannon reached their longer, lighter, more accurate, and more efficient “classic form” around 1480. This classic European cannon design stayed relatively consistent in form with minor changes until the 1750s.
Canon (noun)
A generally accepted principle; a rule.
“The trial must proceed according to the canons of law.”
Canon (noun)
A group of literary works that are generally accepted as representing a field.
“rfdate||turn into real quote “the durable canon of American short fiction” — William Styron”
Canon (noun)
The works of a writer that have been accepted as authentic.
“the entire Shakespeare canon”
Canon (noun)
A eucharistic prayer, particularly the Roman Canon.
Canon (noun)
A religious law or body of law decreed by the church.
“We must proceed according to canon law.”
Canon (noun)
A catalogue of saints acknowledged and canonized in the Roman Catholic Church.
Canon (noun)
In monasteries, a book containing the rules of a religious order.
Canon (noun)
A member of a cathedral chapter; one who possesses a prebend in a cathedral or collegiate church.
Canon (noun)
A piece of music in which the same melody is played by different voices, but beginning at different times; a round.
“Pachelbel’s Canon has become very popular.”
Canon (noun)
A rent or stipend payable at some regular time, generally annual, e.g., canon frumentarius
Canon (noun)
Those sources, especially including literary works, which are considered part of the main continuity regarding a given fictional universe.
“A spin-off book series revealed the aliens to be originally from Earth, but it’s not canon.”
Canon (noun)
A rolled and filleted loin of meat; also called cannon.
“a canon of beef or lamb”
Canon (noun)
A large size of type formerly used for printing the church canons, standardized as 48-point.
Canon (noun)
The part of a bell by which it is suspended; the ear or shank of a bell.
Canon (noun)
A carom.
Canon (noun)
A clergy member serving a cathedral or collegiate church.
Canon (noun)
A canon regular, a member of any of several Roman Catholic religious orders.
Cannon (noun)
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.(JP 1-02 Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms).
Cannon (noun)
Any similar device for shooting material out of a tube.
“water cannon”
“glitter cannon”
Cannon (noun)
A bone of a horse’s leg, between the fetlock joint and the knee or hock.
Cannon (noun)
A large muzzle-loading artillery piece.
Cannon (noun)
A carom.
“In English billiards, a cannon is when one’s cue ball strikes the other player’s cue ball and the red ball on the same shot; and it is worth two points.”
Cannon (noun)
The arm of a player that can throw well.
“He’s got a cannon out in right.”
Cannon (noun)
A hollow cylindrical piece carried by a revolving shaft, on which it may, however, revolve independently.
Cannon (noun)
alternative form of canon(a large size of type)
Cannon (noun)
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.
Cannon (verb)
To bombard with cannons.
Cannon (verb)
To play the carom billiard shot. To strike two balls with the cue ball
“The white cannoned off the red onto the pink.”
Cannon (verb)
To fire something, especially spherical, rapidly.
Cannon (verb)
To collide or strike violently, especially so as to glance off or rebound.
Canon (noun)
archaic spelling of canyon
Cannon (noun)
a large, heavy piece of artillery, typically mounted on wheels, formerly used in warfare
“they would cross at the Town ford, under cover of the defending cannon”
Cannon (noun)
a heavy automatic gun that fires shells from an aircraft or tank
“the gunships blasted arms depots with 105 mm cannon fire and rockets”
Cannon (noun)
a stroke in which the cue ball strikes two balls successively.
Cannon (noun)
a heavy cylinder or hollow drum that is able to rotate independently on a shaft.
Cannon (verb)
collide with something forcefully or at an angle
“his shot cannoned off the crossbar”
“the couple behind almost cannoned into us”
Cannon (verb)
make a cannon shot.