cannon

¹ American  

[kan-uhn] / ˈkæn ən /

noun

plural

cannons,

plural

cannon

1. a mounted gun for firing heavy projectiles; a gun, howitzer, or mortar.

2. British Machinery. quill.

3. Armor. a cylindrical or semicylindrical piece of plate armor for the upper arm or forearm; a vambrace or rerebrace.

4. Also called canon bit.  Also called cannon bit,.  a round bit for a horse.

5. the part of a bit that is in the horse's mouth.

6. (on a bell) the metal loop by which a bell is hung.

7. Zoology.

   1. cannon bone.

   2. the part of the leg in which the cannon bone is situated.

8. British. a carom in billiards.

9. Underworld Slang. a pickpocket.

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verb (used without object)

1. to discharge cannon.

2. British. to make a carom in billiards.

Cannon ² American  

[kan-uhn] / ˈkæn ən /

noun

1. Annie Jump 1863–1941, U.S. astronomer.

2. Joseph Gurney Uncle Joe, 1836–1926, U.S. politician and legislator.

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cannon British  

/ ˈkænən /

noun

1. an automatic aircraft gun of large calibre

2. history a heavy artillery piece consisting of a metal tube mounted on a carriage

3. a heavy tube or drum, esp one that can rotate freely on the shaft by which it is supported

4. the metal loop at the top of a bell, from which it is suspended

5. See cannon bone

6. billiards

   1. a shot in which the cue ball is caused to contact one object ball after another

   2. Usual US and Canadian word: carom.  the points scored by this

7. a rebound or bouncing back, as of a ball off a wall

8. either of the two parts of a vambrace

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verb

1. to collide (with)

2. short for cannonade

3. (intr) billiards to make a cannon

Cannon Scientific  

/ kăn′ən /

1. American astronomer noted for her work on classifying stellar spectra. Cannon classified the spectra of 225,300 stars brighter than magnitude 8.5, as well as 130,000 fainter stars.

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Etymology

Origin of 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

Explanation

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."

Example Sentences

“ETF issuers are firing the spaghetti cannon at the wall in the hopes that a couple of noodles stick,” Morningstar analysts wrote in a December report.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026

“He had to protect himself from his loose cannon partner over here,” he said.

From Salon • Jan. 21, 2026

The ball will come back at you like it was shot out of a cannon.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 19, 2026

On a cool, grey summer's day at Sydney Harbour, crowds gathered around the shore or watched from scores of boats as a starting cannon set the fleet on its way for the race's 80th edition.

From Barron's • Dec. 26, 2025

The cannon was on a small grassy hill overlooking the park.

From "Wringer" by Jerry Spinelli

Related Words

• howitzer
• mortar
• ordnance