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cannon
cannon. Authorities differ regarding the date at which cannon were first mounted on board ships in the western world, confusion often arising from differences of interpretation of medieval Latin phrases used by scholars and historians with no personal knowledge of weapons. The first known record is that which states that guns made in Tournai were aboard the ships that Louis Mâle sent to attack Antwerp in 1336.
The early guns were either cast in bronze—a technique long known and used for making church bells—or made of wrought iron. The latter were built up from bars of iron welded into crude tubes and strengthened by hoops shrunk on to the outside. A bronze cylinder might be inserted at the breech end to serve as a powder chamber. However, cast iron replaced wrought iron for all but the largest pieces during the 16th century, bronze being too expensive when guns were manufactured in large quantities. The cannon of the 15th and 16th centuries was of large calibre and medium length and range. Its two principal sub-types were the ‘whole’ cannon, of approximately 7-in. (18-cm) calibre, 11 feet (3.4 m) in length and firing a 50-lb (23-kg) ball; and the ‘demi-cannon’ of much the same length but of 6-in. (15.2-cm) calibre and firing a 32-lb (14.5-kg) shot. With improvement in the quality of gunpowder during the 17th century, guns were shortened, permitting greater calibres for the same weight. Even such large pieces as the ‘cannon-royal’, weighing some 8,000 lb (3,632 kg) and firing a 66-lb (30-kg) shot, were sometimes mounted. However, by the end of the period, by which time all ships' guns were identified by the weight of shot they fired, the usual sizes were the 42-pounder on the lower decks and the 24-pounder on the upper gundecks. For other types mounted aboard ships, see gun. |
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Cite this article
"cannon." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "cannon." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-cannon.html "cannon." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-cannon.html |
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cannon
can·non
/ ˈkanən/
•
n.
1.
(pl. usu. same)
a large, heavy piece of artillery, typically mounted on wheels, formerly used in warfare.
∎
an automatic heavy gun that fires shells from an aircraft or tank.
2.
Engineering
a heavy cylinder or hollow drum that is able to rotate independently on a shaft.
cannon |
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"cannon." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "cannon." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-cannon.html "cannon." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-cannon.html |
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cannon
cannon a cannon is one of the emblems of St Barbara.
loose cannon a person or thing likely to cause unintentional or misdirected damage. Literally in former times, a piece of ordnance that had broken loose from its fastening or mounting, an accident especially dangerous on wooden ships of war. |
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "cannon." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "cannon." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-cannon.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "cannon." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-cannon.html |
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cannon
cannon.
1. Component of the Empire and Federal styles, military decoration, trophies, etc. 2. Element of architecture, often found with cannon-balls, powder-kegs, etc. 3. Cannon-shaped bollard. 4. Projecting waterspout shaped like a cannon-barrel. |
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JAMES STEVENS CURL. "cannon." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JAMES STEVENS CURL. "cannon." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O1-cannon.html JAMES STEVENS CURL. "cannon." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O1-cannon.html |
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cannon
cannon Artillery piece consisting of a metal tube, used to aim and fire missiles propelled by the explosion of gunpowder in the closed end of the cylinder. Cannon, first used in the 14th century, were originally made of bronze or iron.
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"cannon." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "cannon." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-cannon.html "cannon." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-cannon.html |
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cannon
cannon n. pl. usually same
1. a large, heavy piece of artillery, typically mounted on wheels, formerly used in warfare. 2. an automatic heavy gun that fires shells from an aircraft or tank. |
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"cannon." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "cannon." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-cannon.html "cannon." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-cannon.html |
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cannon
cannon 2 stroke at billiards. XIX. alt., by assoc. with prec., of car(r)om (XVIII), shortening of carambole — Sp. carambola, f. bola ball.
Also as vb. XIX. |
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T. F. HOAD. "cannon." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "cannon." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-cannon1.html T. F. HOAD. "cannon." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-cannon1.html |
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cannon
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Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "cannon." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "cannon." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-cannon.html T. F. HOAD. "cannon." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-cannon.html |
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cannon
cannon
•Buchanan, cannon, canon, colcannon, Louisianan, Montanan, Rhiannon, Shannon
•Botswanan
•Lennon, pennon, tenon
•Canaan
•Burkinan, Henan
•finnan
•phenomenon, prolegomenon
•Parthenon
•Arizonan, Conan, Ronan
•Lebanon • Algernon • Vernon
•Groningen • Vlissingen
•Tongan, wrong'un
•cap'n, happen
•dampen, lampern
•aspen
•parpen, sharpen, tarpon
•weapon • hempen
•capon, misshapen
•cheapen, deepen, steepen
•tympan • ripen • saucepan • open
•lumpen
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Cite this article
"cannon." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 28 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "cannon." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 28, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-cannon.html "cannon." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 28, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-cannon.html |
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