canon en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- kăn'ən
- /ˈkæn.ən/
Etymology
From 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.
Meanings
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(countable, uncountable) A generally accepted principle; a rule.
Or that the Everlasting had not fixed His canon 'gainst self-slaughter.
c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:The trial must proceed according to the canons of law.
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(countable, uncountable) A generally accepted principle; a rule. ▸ A 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 agreement upon the practical application of that canon in works of art.
1975, Richard Tobin, “The Canon of Polykleitos”, in American Journal of Archaeology, volume 79, number 4, →DOI, →JSTOR, retrieved 02 Oct 2020, pages 307–321:
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(countable, uncountable) A 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.
1992 February 2, Mitzel, “Clay Shaw, The Quean Network & That Kennedy Killing”, in Gay Community News, volume 19, number 28, page 12:the durable canon of American short fiction
2015, William Styron, “Irwin Shaw”, in My Generation: Collected Nonfiction, page 456:
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(countable, uncountable) The works of a writer that have been accepted as authentic.
the entire Shakespearean canon
- (countable, uncountable) A eucharistic prayer, particularly the Roman Canon.
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(countable, uncountable) A religious law or body of law decreed by the church.
We must proceed according to canon law.
- (countable, uncountable) A catalogue of saints acknowledged and canonized in the Roman Catholic Church.
- (countable, uncountable) In monasteries, a book containing the rules of a religious order.
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(countable, uncountable) A 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.
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(Roman, countable, uncountable) A 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.
1919 January 14, Charles P. Sherman, “A Brief History of Imperial Roman Canon Law”, in California Law Review, volume 7, number 2, Berkeley, California: University of California, pages 96–97:
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(slang, uncountable) The officially recognized continuity, events, characters, relationships, etc. of a work of fiction.
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.
2014, Phineas and Ferb: Star Wars:A spin-off book series revealed the aliens to be originally from Earth, but it's not canon.
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(alt-of, alternative, countable, uncountable) Alternative form of cannon (“rolled and filleted loin of meat”).
alt of cannon
a canon of beef or lamb
- (dated, uncountable) A large size of type formerly used for printing the church canons, standardized as 48-point.
- (countable, uncountable) The part of a bell by which it is suspended; the ear or shank of a bell.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| canons | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
Deriveds
canonlike · crab canon · canon bit · non-canon · canonize · protocanonical · canonic · enigma canon · canon bone · enigmatic canon · enigmatical canon · canonisation · canonise · canon by contrary motion · canonship · soft canon · puzzle canon · headcanon · mirror canon · canonical · double canon · canonicity · noncanonical · infinite canon · riddle canon · fanon · canon law · deuterocanonical · canonization · Morgan's canon · canonist · perpetual canon · canon event · canonistic · minor canon
Synonyms
French canon (48-point type)
Translations (106)
enm canoun (religious law) · no kanon (piece of music) · el άπαντα (works of a writer that have been accepted as authentic) · fi kaanon (piece of music) · da kanon (piece of music) · ru кано́н (piece of music) · nl canon (religious law) · pt cânone (religious law) · cmn 正史 (fandom: the works considered authoritative regarding a fictional universe) · el αυθεντικά συγγράμματα (works of a writer that have been accepted as authentic) · hu kánon (group of literary works accepted as representative) · cmn 教會法 /教会法 (religious law) · fr canon (religious law) · hu kánon (piece of music) · sk kánon (religious law) · pl kanon (piece of music) · fi säännöt (in monasteries, a book containing the rules of a religious order) · fi kaanon (group of literary works accepted as representative) · bg канон (religious law) · id kanon (fandom: the works considered authoritative regarding a fictional universe) · ja 聖人録 (catalogue of saints acknowledged and canonized in the Roman Catholic Church) · sq kanun (generally accepted principle) · da kanon (generally accepted principle) · ca cànon (eucharistic prayer) · fr canon (group of literary works accepted as representative) · ru пра́вило (religious law) · pl kanon (fandom: the works considered authoritative regarding a fictional universe) · ko 캐논 (group of literary works accepted as representative) · ca cànon (generally accepted principle) · de Missal (printing: 48-point type) · cmn 教規 /教规 (religious law) · fi kruunu (part of a bell by which it is suspended) · bg канон (piece of music) · pt cânone (works of a writer that have been accepted as authentic) · ga canóin (piece of music) · ru кано́н (religious law) · da kanon (religious law) · nl canon (piece of music) · pt cânone (piece of music) · fi pyhimysluettelo (catalogue of saints acknowledged and canonized in the Roman Catholic Church) · sv kanon (fandom: the works considered authoritative regarding a fictional universe) · ja 正史 (group of literary works accepted as representative) · pt cânone (eucharistic prayer) · ja カノン (fandom: the works considered authoritative regarding a fictional universe) · pl kanon (religious law) · es canon (religious law) · ga canóin (eucharistic prayer) · da kanon (fandom: the works considered authoritative regarding a fictional universe) · fr gros-canon (printing: 48-point type) · nl oeuvre (works of a writer that have been accepted as authentic) · gv canoin (piece of music) · it canone (religious law) · pl kanon (printing: 48-point type) · fi law) (generally accepted principle) · sv kanon (piece of music) · no kanon (fandom: the works considered authoritative regarding a fictional universe) · cmn 卡農 /卡农 (piece of music) · cs kánon (piece of music) · da kanon (catalogue of saints acknowledged and canonized in the Roman Catholic Church) · de Kanon (piece of music) · hu kánon (religious law) · it canone (printing: 48-point type) · da kanon (works of a writer that have been accepted as authentic) · fi kaanon (catalogue of saints acknowledged and canonized in the Roman Catholic Church) · cmn 官設 /官设 (fandom: the works considered authoritative regarding a fictional universe) · mi rangi inaki (piece of music) · el κανών (religious law) · enm canoun (generally accepted principle) · ca cànon (group of literary works accepted as representative) · eo kanono (group of literary works accepted as representative) · pt cânone (group of literary works accepted as representative) · ca cànon (in monasteries, a book containing the rules of a religious order) · fi kaanon (printing: 48-point type) · fi alkuperäisteokset (fandom: the works considered authoritative regarding a fictional universe) · fr canon (piece of music) · no kanon (group of literary works accepted as representative) · ja 教会法 (religious law) · fr anses (part of a bell by which it is suspended) · it canone (piece of music) · el κανόνας (group of literary works accepted as representative) · id kanon (piece of music) · pl kanon (eucharistic prayer) · fi ehtoollisrukous (eucharistic prayer) · id kanon (religious law) · ru кано́н (fandom: the works considered authoritative regarding a fictional universe) · yue 真傳 /真传 (group of literary works accepted as representative) · cmn 正史 (works of a writer that have been accepted as authentic) · pl kanon (generally accepted principle) · fi periaate (generally accepted principle) · es canon (group of literary works accepted as representative) · gv oardagh (yn erin) (eucharistic prayer) · da kanon (group of literary works accepted as representative) · es canon (piece of music) · es canon (printing: 48-point type) · da kanon (in monasteries, a book containing the rules of a religious order) · el κανών (eucharistic prayer) · de Kanon (religious law) · nl canon (eucharistic prayer) · ca cànon (religious law) · cmn 原設 /原设 (fandom: the works considered authoritative regarding a fictional universe) · pl kanon (group of literary works accepted as representative) · bg канон (generally accepted principle) · fi kaanon (religious law) · fi kootut teokset (works of a writer that have been accepted as authentic) · pt cânone (fandom: the works considered authoritative regarding a fictional universe) · nl canon (group of literary works accepted as representative)