loose cannon en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Meanings
- A cannon that breaks loose from its moorings on a ship during battle or storm, with the potential to cause serious damage to the ship and her crew.
-
(broadly, idiomatic) An uncontrolled or unpredictable person, especially considered liable to cause unintentional or indiscriminate damage.
Jack is considered a loose cannon due to his volatile personality and his track record of being unable to maintain his composure.
Sooner or later this party gets busted and all your friends stumble back home But you're the loose cannon who could never be trusted so you'll hide from the cops all alone.
2013, “Post Party Depression”, in Rogue Taxidermy, performed by Days N' Daze:Even in MAGA circles, Loomer is regarded as a loose cannon who loves to get attention from inflammatory comments that undermine the Republican Party.
2024 September 13, Jeet Heer, “How Donald Trump Got Loomered”, in The Nation, archived from the original on 05 Oct 2024:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| loose cannons | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Translations (15)
fi arvaamaton ihminen (unpredictable person) · es bala perdida (unpredictable person) · ru обезья́на с грана́той f /lit: monkey with a grenade/ (unpredictable person) · et ennustamatu käitumisega inimene (unpredictable person) · fi kävelevä katastrofi (unpredictable person) · it mina vagante (unpredictable person) · cmn 脱缰野马 (unpredictable person) · cs neřízená střela (unpredictable person) · hu elszabadult hajóágyú (unpredictable person) · de gemeingefährlicher Mensch (unpredictable person) · tr serseri mayın (unpredictable person) · de unkontrollierbarer Mensch (unpredictable person) · de unberechenbarer Mensch (unpredictable person) · fr électron libre (unpredictable person) · nl ongeleid projectiel (unpredictable person)