cannon
UK[ˈkænən]US[ˈkænən]
n
A large, heavy piece of artillery, typically mounted on wheels, formerly used in warfare.
n
An automatic gun that fires shells from an aircraft or tank.
v
To make cannon strike together in billiards.
v
To collide forcefully or rebound.
Etymology
The word 'cannon' traces a fascinating journey from a humble plant to a powerful weapon. It originates from the Greek 'kanna' and Latin 'canna', meaning "reed" or "hollow tube," reflecting the simple, tubular structure of the early plant stem. In medieval Italian, the augmentative form 'cannone' (literally "large tube") was coined to describe the newly invented heavy gun, whose barrel resembled a giant metal tube. This term was borrowed into English in the 16th century, where 'cannon' retained its core logic of a large, hollow cylinder but specialized in meaning to denote the specific artillery piece that projects projectiles through its bore.
Analysis
The word 'cannon' is a simplex loanword. Its direct source is the Old Italian 'cannone', meaning "large tube," which is an augmentative form of 'canna' (reed, tube), from Latin 'canna' (reed), and ultimately from Greek 'kanna' (reed), likely of Semitic origin.
Examples
The historical fort was defended by several iron cannons mounted on the walls.
The fighter plane is equipped with a rapid-firing 20mm cannon.
The cue ball cannoned off the red ball and into the corner pocket.