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(), n.; pl. Cannons (), collectively Cannon. [F. cannon, fr. L. canna reed, pipe, tube. See Cane.] 1. A great gun; a piece of ordnance or artillery; a firearm for discharging heavy shot with great force. Cannons are made of various materials, as iron, brass, bronze, and steel, and of various sizes and shapes with respect to the special service for which they are intended, as intended, as siege, seacoast, naval, field, or mountain, guns. They always aproach more or less nearly to a cylindrical from, being usually thicker toward the breech than at the muzzle. Formerly they were cast hollow, afterwards they were cast, solid, and bored out. The cannon now most in use for the armament of war vessels and for seacoast defense consists of a forged steel tube reinforced with massive steel rings shrunk upon it. Howitzers and mortars are sometimes called cannon. See Gun. 2. (Mech.) A hollow cylindrical piece carried by a revolving shaft, on which it may, however, revolve independently. 3. Can"non n. & v.(Billiards) See Carom. [Eng.] Can"non v. i. 1. To discharge cannon. 2. To collide or strike violently, esp. so as to glance off or rebound; to strike and rebound. He heard the right-hand goal post crack as a pony cannoned into it -- crack, splinter, and fall like a mast. Kipling. スポンサード リンク
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