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# cannon

noun (a cannon, cannon or cannons); verb (cannon, cannons, cannoned, cannoning — rare)

«cannon» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A cannon is a big, heavy gun, usually on wheels or on a ship, that fires large metal balls or shells. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cannon/#m1)
2. To cannon into someone is to crash into them hard while moving fast. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cannon/#m2)
3. A water cannon is a machine that sprays very strong jets of water. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cannon/#m3)

### In the lessons

In history lessons, cannons appear in castles, sieges, pirate ships and old battles; pupils learn that cannons made castle walls less safe. In science, a cannon firing a ball is an example of forces and motion. In stories, «a loose cannon» is a person nobody can control. In everyday talk, children «cannon into» each other in the corridor. Phrases: «fire a cannon», «cannonball», «loose cannon», «water cannon», «cannon into».

### Examples

- The pirates fired their cannons at the ship. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cannon/#x1)
- A cannonball smashed through the castle wall. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cannon/#x2)
- The cannon on the hill fires once a day for the tourists. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cannon/#x3)
- He cannoned into me in the corridor and we both fell over. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cannon/#x4)
- He is a loose cannon; you never know what he will say. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cannon/#x5)
- Firefighters used a water cannon on the burning barn. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cannon/#x6)
- The soldiers fired off cannons, and the boys let off crackers. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cannon/#x7)

### Note

Plural: «cannons» or «cannon» (both correct). Homophone trap: «cannon» (gun) and «canon» (a church rule, a list of important books, a priest; also a round in music) sound the same. «Cannonball» is one word; «doing a cannonball» is jumping into a pool with knees hugged.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «cannon» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cannon/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«cannon» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/cannon.html) on Mova free.