cannon
can·non [cannon cannons cannoned cannoning] noun, verb BrE [ˈkænən] NAmE [ˈkænən] noun (pl. can·nonor can·nons) 1. an old type of large heavy gun, usually on wheels, that fires solid metal or stone balls •Three cannon opened fire. •a burst of cannon fire see also ↑loose cannon, ↑water cannon 2. an automatic gun that is fired from an aircraft Word Origin: late Middle English: from French canon, from Italian cannone ‘large tube’, from canna ‘cane, reed’, via Latin from Greek kanna, kannē, of Semitic origin. Example Bank: •Cannons thundered to their right. •Riot police used water cannon and tear gas to disperse the crowd. •Riot police used water cannon to disperse the crowd. •The foot soldiers were just used as cannon fodder. •The helicopter directed a burst of cannon fire at the target. verb intransitive + adv./prep. to hit sb/sth with a lot of force while you are moving •He ran around the corner, cannoning into a group of kids. Verb forms: Word Origin: late Middle English: from French canon, from Italian cannone ‘large tube’, from canna ‘cane, reed’, via Latin from Greek kanna, kannē, of Semitic origin.
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