■ noun
1》 ( plural usu. same) a large, heavy piece of artillery formerly used in warfare.
↘an automatic heavy gun that fires shells from an aircraft or tank.
2》 Billiards & Snooker, chiefly Brit. a stroke in which the cue ball strikes two balls successively. [C19: alt. of carom .]
3》 Engineering a heavy cylinder or hollow drum rotating independently on a shaft.
■ verb chiefly Brit.
1》 collide with something forcefully or at an angle.
2》 Billiards & Snooker make a ~ shot.
Origin
ME: from Fr. canon , from Ital. ~e 'large tube', from canna (see cane ).