/ˈkæn.ən/
OriginFrom Middle English canoun, from Old French canon and Old English canon, both from Latin canōn, from Ancient Greek κανών (kanṓn, “measuring rod, standard”), akin to κάννα (kánna, “reed”), from Semitic (compare Hebrew קָנֶה (qane, “reed”) and Arabic قَنَاة (qanāh, “reed”)). Doublet of qanun. See also cane, cannon, canyon, canal.
- countable, uncountableA generally accepted principle; a rule.
“The trial must proceed according to the canons of law.”
“Or that the Everlasting had not fixed His canon 'gainst self-slaughter.”
- countable, uncountableA formally codified set of criteria deemed mandatory for a particular artistic style of figurative art.
“the Canon of Polykleitos”
“Despite the many advances made by modern scholars towards a clearer comprehension of the theoretical basis of the Canon of Polykleitos, the results of these studies show an absence of any general agre”
- countable, uncountableA group of literary works that are generally accepted as representing a field.
“Russo had been working as a salesman, selling Great Books of the Western World, hawking the canon to the rubes.”
“the durable canon of American short fiction”
- countable, uncountableThe works of a writer that have been accepted as authentic.
“the entire Shakespearean canon”
- countable, uncountableA eucharistic prayer, particularly the Roman Canon.
- countable, uncountableA religious law or body of law decreed by the church.
“We must proceed according to canon law.”
- countable, uncountableA catalogue of saints acknowledged and canonized in the Roman Catholic Church.
- countable, uncountableIn monasteries, a book containing the rules of a religious order.
- countable, uncountableA 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.”
- Roman, countable, uncountableA rent or stipend payable at some regular time, generally annual, e.g., canon frumentarius
“The lessees of public lands had to pay a perpetual rent or "canon" at some periodical time.”
- slang, uncountableThose sources, especially including literary works, which are considered part of the main continuity regarding a given fictional universe; (metonymic) these sources' content.
“A spin-off book series revealed the aliens to be originally from Earth, but it's not canon.”
“Meanwhile, having learned the whereabouts of the Death Star's plans, the rebels send their best platypus agent to obtain them, in hopes of finding a weakness. And none of this is canon, so just relax.”
- dated, uncountableA large size of type formerly used for printing the church canons, standardized as 48-point.
- countable, uncountableThe part of a bell by which it is suspended; the ear or shank of a bell.
- A type of clergymember serving a cathedral or collegiate church.
- A canon regular, a member of any of several Roman Catholic religious orders.
- alt-ofAlternative letter-case form of canon: a member of a chapter.
- Title for a canon.
“Canon Smith is our new parish priest.”
- abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, slangClipping of canonical.
“The franchise's book spinoff is usually not considered canon.”
- A surname.
- with-definite-articleThe Canon of the Mass.
Formscanons(plural) · more canon(comparative) · most canon(superlative) · Canons(plural)