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Webster 1913 Edition

canon

can′on

(kăn′ŭn)
,
Noun.
[OE.
canon
,
canoun
, AS.
canon
rule (cf. F.
canon
, LL.
canon
, and, for sense 7, F.
chanoine
, LL.
canonicus
), fr. L.
canon
a measuring line, rule, model, fr. Gr.
κανών
rule, rod, fr.
κάνη
,
κάννη
, reed. See
Cane
, and cf.
Canonical
.]
1.
A law or rule.
Or that the Everlasting had not fixed
His
canon
’gainst self-slaughter.
Shakespeare
2.
(Eccl.)
A law, or rule of doctrine or discipline, enacted by a council and confirmed by the pope or the sovereign; a decision, regulation, code, or constitution made by ecclesiastical authority.
Various
canons
which were made in councils held in the second centry.
Hook.
3.
The collection of books received as genuine Holy Scriptures, called the
sacred canon
, or general rule of moral and religious duty, given by inspiration; the Bible; also, any one of the canonical Scriptures. See
Canonical books
, under
Canonical
,
Adj.
4.
In monasteries, a book containing the rules of a religious order.
5.
A catalogue of saints acknowledged and canonized in the Roman Catholic Church.
6.
A member of a cathedral chapter; a person who possesses a prebend in a cathedral or collegiate church.
7.
(Mus.)
A musical composition in which the voices begin one after another, at regular intervals, successively taking up the same subject. It either winds up with a
coda
(tailpiece), or, as each voice finishes, commences anew, thus forming a perpetual fugue or round. It is the strictest form of imitation. See
Imitation
.
8.
(Print.)
The largest size of type having a specific name; – so called from having been used for printing the canons of the church.
9.
The part of a bell by which it is suspended; – called also
ear
and
shank
.
[See Illust. of
Bell
.]
Knight.
10.
(Billiards)
See
Carom
.
Apostolical canons
.
See under
Apostolical
.
–
Augustinian canons
,
Black canons
.
See under
Augustinian
.
–
Canon capitular
,
Canon residentiary
,
a resident member of a cathedral chapter (during a part or the whole of the year).
–
Canon law
.
See under
Law
.
–
Canon of the Mass
(R. C. Ch.)
,
that part of the mass, following the Sanctus, which never changes.
–
Honorary canon
,
a canon{6} who neither lived in a monastery, nor kept the canonical hours.
–
Minor canon
(Ch. of Eng.)
,
one who has been admitted to a chapter, but has not yet received a prebend.
–
Regular canon
(R. C. Ch.)
,
one who lived in a conventual community and followed the rule of St. Austin; a Black canon.
–
Secular canon
(R. C. Ch.)
,
one who did not live in a monastery, but kept the hours.

Webster 1828 Edition

Canon

CANON

,
Noun.
1.
In ecclesiastical affairs, a law, or rule of doctrine or discipline, enacted by a council and confirmed by the sovereign; a decision of matters in religion, or a regulation of policy or discipline, by a general or provincial council.

Definition 2025

canon

canon

English

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkæn.ən/
  • Rhymes: -ænən
  • Homophone: cannon

Noun

Canons cast into the top of a bell - used for attaching to a headstock

canon ‎(plural canons)

  1. A generally accepted principle; a rule.
    The trial must proceed according to the canons of law.
    • Shakespeare
      Or that the Everlasting had not fixed His canon 'gainst self-slaughter.
  2. A group of literary works that are generally accepted as representing a field.
    (Can we date this quote?) "the durable canon of American short fiction" — William Styron
  3. The works of a writer that have been accepted as authentic.
    the entire Shakespeare canon
  4. A eucharistic prayer, particularly the Roman Canon.
  5. A religious law or body of law decreed by the church.
    We must proceed according to canon law.
  6. A catalogue of saints acknowledged and canonized in the Roman Catholic Church.
  7. In monasteries, a book containing the rules of a religious order.
  8. A member of a cathedral chapter; one who possesses a prebend in a cathedral or collegiate church.
  9. A piece of music in which the same melody is played by different voices, but beginning at different times; a round.
    Pachelbel’s Canon has become very popular.
  10. (fandom) Those sources, especially including literary works, which are generally considered authoritative regarding a given fictional universe.
    A spin-off book series revealed the aliens to be originally from Earth, but it's not canon.
  11. (cooking) A rolled and filleted loin of meat.
    a canon of beef or lamb
  12. (printing, dated) A large size of type formerly used for printing the church canons, standardized as 48-point.
  13. The part of a bell by which it is suspended; the ear or shank of a bell.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Knight to this entry?)
  14. (billiards) A carom.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations

Etymology 2

Noun

canon ‎(plural canons)

  1. Alternative spelling of qanun

Anagrams

Dutch

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkaː.nɔn/
  • Rhymes: -anɔn
  • Hyphenation: ca‧non

Etymology

From Ancient Greek κανών ‎(kanṓn, “measuring rod, standard”), akin to κάννα ‎(kánna, “reed”), perhaps from Semitic (compare Hebrew קנה ‎(qaneh, “reed”)).

Noun

canon m ‎(plural canons, diminutive canonnetje n)

  1. canon (principle, literary works, prayer, religious law, music piece)

Derived terms

  • canoniek
  • canoniseren

French

Etymology

From Old French canon.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ka.nɔ̃/

Noun

canon m ‎(plural canons)

  1. cannon, (big) gun
  2. barrel (of firearm)
  3. canon
  4. (music) canon
  5. cannon for a horse.
  6. (religion) canon
  7. (slang) hottie, dish, bombshell (attractive man/woman)
  8. (slang) glass of wine

Latin

Etymology

Borrowing from Ancient Greek κανών ‎(kanṓn, “measuring rod, standard”), akin to κάννα ‎(kánna, “reed”), perhaps from Semitic (compare Hebrew קנה ‎(qaneh, “reed”)).

Pronunciation

Noun

canōn m ‎(genitive canōnis); third declension

  1. a measuring line
  2. (figuratively) precept, rule, canon
  3. (Ecclesiastical Latin) catalog of sacred writings
  4. (Later Latin) a cannon (artillery)
  5. a yearly tribute paid to the emperor

Inflection

Third declension.

Case Singular Plural
nominative canōn canōnēs
genitive canōnis canōnum
dative canōnī canōnibus
accusative canōnem canōnēs
ablative canōne canōnibus
vocative canōn canōnēs

Synonyms

Descendants

References

Norman

Etymology

From Old French canon.

Noun

canon m ‎(plural canons)

  1. cannon

Old French

Noun

canon m ‎(oblique plural canons, nominative singular canons, nominative plural canon)

  1. tube
  2. cannon
  3. canon

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowing from Greek κανών ‎(kanón), possibly partly through a South Slavic language intermediate.

Noun

canon n ‎(plural canoane)

  1. canon
  2. (usually in regards to religion) tenet, dogma, rule, norm, precept
  3. punishment or penance for breaking such a religious rule

Declension

Derived terms

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin canōn, from Ancient Greek κανών ‎(kanṓn, “measuring rod, standard”) (compare κάννα ‎(kánna, “reed”)), perhaps of Semitic origin.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈka.non/

Noun

canon m ‎(plural cánones)

  1. canon (principle, literary works, prayer, religious law, music piece)

Synonyms

Related terms

Welsh

Alternative forms

  • canasom (literary, first-person plural)
  • canasant (literary, third-person plural)

Pronunciation

Verb

canon

  1. (colloquial) first-person plural preterite of canu
  2. (colloquial) third-person plural preterite of canu

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical soft nasal aspirate
canon ganon nghanon chanon
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every
possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Etymology

From Old French canon, from Latin canōn, from Ancient Greek κανών ‎(kanṓn, “measuring rod, standard”), akin to κάννα ‎(kánna, “reed”), perhaps from Semitic (compare Hebrew קָנֶה ‎(qane, “reed”)). See also cane.

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