canon Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a rule or especially body of rules or principles generally established as valid and fundamental in a field or art or philosophy
    • the neoclassical canon
    • canons of polite society
  2. noun a priest who is a member of a cathedral chapter
  3. noun a ravine formed by a river in an area with little rainfall
    canyon.
  4. noun a contrapuntal piece of music in which a melody in one part is imitated exactly in other parts
  5. noun a complete list of saints that have been recognized by the Roman Catholic Church
  6. noun a collection of books accepted as holy scripture especially the books of the Bible recognized by any Christian church as genuine and inspired

WordNet

Can"on noun
Etymology
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. rule, rod, fr. , , red. See Cane, and cf. Canonical.
Definitions
  1. A law or rule.
    Or that the Everlasting had not fixed His canon 'gainst self-slaughter. Shak.
  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. Hock.
  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, a.
  4. In monasteries, a book containing the rules of a religious order.
  5. A catalogue of saints sckowledged 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 voice begin one after another, at regular intervals, succesively 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.
Ca*ñon" noun (Also<
  • Canon
  • Cañon
)
Etymology
Sp., a tube or hollow, fr. caña reed, fr. L. canna. See Cane.
Definitions
  1. A deep gorge, ravine, or gulch, between high and steep banks, worn by water courses. Mexico & Western U. S.

Webster 1913