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cannon

cannon

3 8.1
A shot in snooker or billiards where the cue ball hits two balls in a row
  • noun
  • /ˈkænən/
  • Jargon
translation icon : carambola
  • In billiards, you can score by making a cannon, where the cue ball hits two other balls in succession.

Examples

  • The player's skill made it look easy to achieve a cannon in that difficult shot.

  • That's two points for a cannon, I think.

  • Just before the ball sinks into the cannon, the worm pops his head out of the thumb-hole and says pathetically...

    Fiction book (2002)
  • He successfully executed a cannon during the game, helping his team to win.

Synonyms

carom
vscannon
  • Specialized
9.8

A shot in billiards where the cue ball hits one ball then another

is used mainly in snooker rather than other similar games

Compounds

loose cannon
  • Informal
19 7.4

A person who acts unpredictably and can cause problems

cannon fodder
  • Offensive
7 8.5

Soldiers in war who are expected to die and treated with little care

7 3.9

A machine that sprays high-pressure water to push away crowds

3 4.9

Loud shots from large guns used in an attack

cannon bone
  • Specialized
1 8.6

A strong lower leg bone in animals with hooves, especially horses

cannon ball
  • Archaic
4.1

A heavy round metal ball fired from a cannon in the past

cannon cocker
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who loads and fires a cannon for the army or reenactments

A large firework that makes a very loud explosion

lower cannon
  • Archaic
9.9

A metal plate that covers and protects the forearm

upper cannon
  • Archaic
9.9

A piece of metal armor that covers the upper arm above the elbow

Surface Forms

cannon singular
cannons plural

Etymology

Cannon (in billiards) borrows the image of the gun: think of the cue ball acting like a small 'cannon' that strikes two balls in a row. So a cannon in snooker or billiards is a single striking shot where one ball hits two others.