Dictionary

cannonball en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈkænənˌbɔːl/
• (US) audio

Etymology

From cannon + ball from being a round ball that is fired from a cannon.

Meanings

1. A spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon.
2. An explosive-filled hollow iron sphere fused through a hole and intended to explode at a calculated distance rather than explode on impact.
3. The act of jumping (typically into a swimming pool) with the legs bent and the arms wrapped around the knees to create a large splash, mimicking the flight and shape of a cannonball.
   • The cannonball could be called the S.U.V. of the pool — oversized, brash, hormonally hardwired.
   • The New Yorker, 30 August 2004, p.40
4. (figuratively, slang) Something that moves fast, especially a fast train.
   • Meetings of the model train club always begin with the song "Wabash Cannonball".
5. A served ball that travels with great speed and describes little or no arc in flight.

Forms

Deriveds

cannonball mangrove · human cannonball · cannonball effect · cannonball tree · cannonball problem · cannonball fungus · cannonball run · cannonballer

Relateds

bellyflop · rip entry · backflop · jack-knife

Synonyms

ball · solid shot · round shot

Translations (60)

de Arschbombe (jumping with the legs bent and the arms wrapped around the knees) · ur گولا (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · tg гулӯлаи тӯп (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · be ядро́ (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · ru ядро́ (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · pt bala de canhão (jumping with the legs bent and the arms wrapped around the knees) · nrf balle dé canon (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · it palla di cannone (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · mrw pinang (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · sq gjyle (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · nl kanonskogel (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · sh đȕle (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · be гарма́тнае ядро́ (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · mk ѓу́ле (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · pl bomba (jumping with the legs bent and the arms wrapped around the knees) · ko 대포알 (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · bg гюле́ (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · io kuglego (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · ja 砲弾 (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · az top topu (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · da kanonkugle (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · fr boulet de canon (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · hy հրանոթի գնդակ (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · tr gülle (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · es bala de cañón (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · nn kanonkule (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · de Kanonenkugel (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · mk бо́мба (jumping with the legs bent and the arms wrapped around the knees) · mrw pitonang (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · ro ghiulea (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · pl kula armatnia (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · ru пу́шечное ядро́ (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · fi pommi (jumping with the legs bent and the arms wrapped around the knees) · sv kanonkula (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · fa-ira گُلولِهٔ توپ (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · hy թնդանոթի ռմբագունդ (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · uk гарма́тне ядро́ (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · sh ђу̏ле (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · pt bala de canhão (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · af kanonkoeël (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · uz toʻp oʻqi (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · cmn 砲彈 /炮弹 (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · nl bommetje (jumping with the legs bent and the arms wrapped around the knees) · cs dělová koule (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · fi tykinkuula (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · lad top (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · sk delová guľa (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · hu ágyúgolyó (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · az güllə (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · bn গোলা (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · es bomba (jumping with the legs bent and the arms wrapped around the knees) · nb kanonkule (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · sv kula (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · hi गोला (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · nrf boulet dé canon (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · enm gunneston (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · fi kuula (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · uk ядро́ (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · ko 포탄 (spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon) · pt bomba (jumping with the legs bent and the arms wrapped around the knees)

cannonball en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈkænənˌbɔːl/
• (US) audio

Etymology

From cannon + ball from being a round ball that is fired from a cannon.

Meanings

1. (intransitive) To jump or dive into water, performing a cannonball landing.
   • He cannonballed into the pool, drenching us all.
2. (intransitive) To career; to move rapidly.
   • The car cannonballed past.

Forms

Translations (2)

pl spieszyć się (to move rapidly) · de rasen (to move rapidly)