cannon

Pluralcannons

Formscannons, cannoning, cannoned

1. 1
   nouncountable or uncountable

   The tube of a big military gun, together with the parts at the back that close it and fire it.

   The army sent the worn cannon back to the factory and fitted a new one to the gun.

   Workers checked each cannon for cracks before it left the plant.

   Note
2. 2
   old heavy gunnounhistoricalcountable or uncountable

   A large, heavy gun from long ago that was loaded through its open front end.

   The soldiers loaded the cannon and stood back with their hands over their ears.

   The old ship carried twenty cannons along each side.

   Similargun

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3. 3
   launchernouncountable or uncountable

   A machine that shoots something, like water or confetti, out of a tube.

   The kids built a potato cannon in the backyard.

   At the end of the show, a cannon shot glitter all over the crowd.

4. 4
   crash intoverbintransitive

   To crash into something hard and fast, often bouncing off it.

   Slow down or you'll cannon into someone on the stairs.

   The ball cannoned off the wall and knocked over the lamp.

   Similarcrash, slam, smash, barrel

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5. 5
   verbtransitive

   To shoot or send something very fast, often something round like a ball.

   In dodgeball, he likes to cannon the ball at the other team as hard as he can.

   She cannoned the ball past the goalkeeper.

   Similarfire, blast, shoot

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6. 6
   throwing armnouncolloquialfigurativelycountable or uncountable

   In baseball, the arm of a player who can throw the ball very well.

   Our center fielder has a cannon, so runners stay put.

   Scouts came to watch her cannon from right field.

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7. 7
   rapid-fire gunnouncountable or uncountable

   An automatic gun that fires many shots very quickly, often fitted to a warplane.

   The plane's cannon fired at the trucks on the road below.

   Each wing of the jet carries a cannon.

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8. 8
   bombardverbtransitive

   To attack a place by firing big guns at it.

   The ships began to cannon the castle at dawn.

   The enemy cannoned the town walls all night.

   Similarbombard, shell

9. 9
   two-ball shotnouncountable or uncountable

   In games like billiards, a shot where the ball you hit touches two other balls.

   He made a cannon and won two more points.

   It was a hard cannon, but she hit both balls cleanly.

   Similarcarom

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10. 10
    hit two ballsverbintransitive

    In billiards, to hit two balls with your cue ball in one shot.

    Her ball cannoned off the red and rolled into the yellow.

    He tries to cannon off one ball and into another every time.

    Similarcarom

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