cannon
cannon — noun
1. a huge gun mounted on a wheeled frame that shoots heavy projectiles, commonly ma
a huge gun mounted on a wheeled frame that shoots heavy projectiles, commonly made of iron or rock, and was a standard battlefield weapon from the 1400s to the 1800s.
The soldiers fired the cannon from the hilltop at the enemy fort below.
cannon + fire + at [target]
A single cannonball from the old cannon tore through the wooden ship.
The iron cannon from the Battle of Waterloo stood at the entrance to the museum's history hall.
During the battle, the cannon crews loaded gunpowder and fired non-stop.
Children from the village often climbed onto the old bronze cannon that stood in the centre of the town square.
- artillery piece
more general military term for any large gun
- howitzer
a specific type of cannon that fires at a steep angle, not synonymous but related
用法筆記
This sense refers specifically to the pre-20th-century type of artillery. For modern guns on vehicles or aircraft, see sense 2.
2. a powerful automatic gun that is fitted to an aircraft, tank, or other vehicle,
a powerful automatic gun that is fitted to an aircraft, tank, or other vehicle, and fires many rounds of ammunition quickly in succession.
The fighter jet fired its cannons at the target during the training exercise.
cannon + fired + from [vehicle]
The tank's cannon rotated slowly as it searched for enemy vehicles.
A helicopter equipped with a side-mounted cannon protected the convoy below.
The attack helicopter fired its 30-millimetre cannon at the armoured convoy from two kilometres away.
Ground crews reloaded the aircraft cannon while the pilot waited in the cockpit.
- autocannon
technical term for a rapid-fire cannon, especially on aircraft
- machine gun
similar in function but typically smaller calibre than a cannon
用法筆記
In modern military contexts, 'cannon' usually refers to a rapid-fire automatic gun on a vehicle, while a soldier's handheld weapon is a 'rifle' or 'machine gun'.
3. a play common to snooker, billiards, and similar cue sports where the player str
a play common to snooker, billiards, and similar cue sports where the player strikes the cue ball so that it touches two separate object balls during a single turn.
Yusuf studied the crowded table and played a perfect cannon, sending the red ball into the far corner pocket.
play + a + cannon (snooker shot)
The player called out the cannon just before his cue struck the white ball near the centre of the table.
Leila needed a cannon to reach the blue ball tucked behind the pink, but the angle was too tight.
With a well-timed cannon, the cue ball sent the red and the brown into different pockets at once.
- carom
the American English term for a shot where the cue ball hits two balls
- combination shot
used in pool when the cue ball strikes one ball that then hits another
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively in the sports of snooker, billiards, and similar cue-sports. In American pool, the same action is called a 'combination shot' or 'carom'.
4. an arm that is very strong and allows a player, especially a baseball pitcher or
an arm that is very strong and allows a player, especially a baseball pitcher or outfielder, to throw the ball at great speed and distance.
The scout signed the young pitcher because of his incredible cannon of an arm.
cannon of an arm — informal idiom for a strong throwing arm
The scout noticed Hana has a cannon after she threw the ball all the way home from centre field.
has a cannon — informal for a powerful throwing arm
The coach said the rookie has a real cannon and just needs better aim.
With a cannon like that, Rohan could easily play professional baseball one day.
- strong arm
more literal, less colourful than 'cannon'
- power arm
similar meaning but less common in sports commentary
用法筆記
Always used in a sports context and almost always with 'have' or 'has' (e.g. 'has a cannon'). The expression 'a cannon for an arm' is common in baseball commentary.
常見錯誤
cannon — verb
1. to crash or knock into someone or something with sudden, forceful impact, often
to crash or knock into someone or something with sudden, forceful impact, often while moving at an angle rather than head-on.
The cyclist lost control and cannoned into a row of parked bicycles.
cannon + into + [object]
A stray shopping cart cannoned against the side of the car in the parking lot.
cannon + against + [thing]
Two players cannoned into each other as they raced for the loose ball.
The fishing boat lost power and cannoned off the concrete harbour wall during the storm.
Priya slipped on the wet floor and cannoned into the table, knocking over a vase.
- crash into
more general — does not imply the angled, glancing quality of 'cannon into'
- slam into
emphasises the force of impact but not the angled movement
- careen into
similar sense of uncontrolled angled movement, but less common
文法句型
cannon + into + [person/thing]
cannon + off + [person/thing]
cannon + against + [person/thing]
用法筆記
Use this sense when describing an uncontrolled or accidental collision where the moving person or thing strikes another at an angle. For a hit-and-bounce situation (ricochet), see verb sense 2.
2. to hit a surface and spring back from it at an angle, like a ball bouncing off a
to hit a surface and spring back from it at an angle, like a ball bouncing off a wall or a bullet ricocheting.
The tennis ball cannoned off the top of the net and landed outside the court.
cannon + off + [surface] — ricochet motion
A loose rock cannoned off the cliff wall and fell into the river below.
The bullet cannoned off the steel door and lodged in the wooden floor.
Aiko hit the hockey puck hard and it cannoned back off the goal post.
The rubber ball cannoned off the ceiling and then hit the dog on the nose.
- ricochet
narrower — specifically about bullets or small objects bouncing off a surface at speed
- bounce off
more general; 'cannon off' suggests greater speed and force
- rebound
formal term for bouncing back after impact
文法句型
cannon + off + [surface]
cannon + back + [preposition]
用法筆記
With this sense, the focus is on the projectile-like rebound after hitting a surface. Unlike verb sense 1 (collide), sense 2 emphasises the bounce or ricochet rather than the initial impact.
3. in snooker and billiards, to strike a ball with the cue so that it touches two s
in snooker and billiards, to strike a ball with the cue so that it touches two separate balls in a single shot, often to reach a difficult position or set up a scoring opportunity.
Theo cannoned the white ball off the red near the cushion and straight into the blue to finish the frame.
cannon + [cue ball] + off + [target ball] + into + [result]
If you cannon the two remaining balls near the centre pocket, you might clear the table in one turn.
cannon + [two balls] — transitive usage
The player decided to cannon the cue ball off the red rather than try a direct shot at the pocket.
Amara cannoned her ball off the side cushion and straight into the yellow that was blocking the pocket.
- carom
American English term for the same billiards action
文法句型
cannon + [ball] + off + [ball]
cannon + [two balls]
用法筆記
Frequently used both transitively ('cannon the white ball into the red') and intransitively ('He cannoned off the other ball'). This is the verb form of noun sense 3.