• enPR: kăn'ən, IPA: /ˈkæn.ən/

canon (plural canons)

1. A generally accepted principle; a rule.

   The trial must proceed according to the canons of law.

   • c. 1599–1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358 ↗, [Act I, scene ii]:

     Or that the Everlasting had not fixed His canon 'gainst self-slaughter.

2. anchor literary A group of literary works that are generally accepted as representing a field.
   • , William Styron, "Irwin Shaw", in My Generation: Collected Nonfiction (2015), page 456 ↗

     the durable canon of American short fiction

3. The works of a writer that have been accepted as authentic.

   the entire Shakespeare canon

4. A eucharistic prayer, particularly the Roman Canon.
5. A religious law or body of law decreed by the church.

   We must proceed according to canon law.

6. A catalogue of saints acknowledged and canonized in the Roman Catholic Church.
7. In monasteries, a book containing the rules of a religious order.
8. A member of a cathedral chapter; one who possesses a prebend in a cathedral or collegiate church.
9. 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.

10. (Roman law) A rent or stipend payable at some regular time, generally annual, e.g., canon frumentarius
11. (fandom) Those sources, especially including literary works, which are considered part of the main continuity regarding a given fictional universe.

    A spin-off book series revealed the aliens to be originally from Earth, but it's not canon.

    • 2014, Phineas and Ferb: Star Wars

      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.

12. (cookery) A rolled and filleted loin of meat; also called cannon.

    a canon of beef or lamb

13. (printing, dated) A large size of type formerly used for printing the church canons, standardized as 48-point.
14. The part of a bell by which it is suspended; the ear or shank of a bell.
15. (billiards) A carom.

• (48-point type) French canon

• Portuguese: cânone

• Portuguese: cânone

• Portuguese: cânone

• French: canon
• German: Kanon
• Italian: canone
• Portuguese: cânone
• Russian: кано́н

• French: chanoine
• German: Chorherr
• Italian: canonico
• Portuguese: cónego, cônego
• Russian: кано́ник
• Spanish: canónigo

• French: canon
• German: Kanon
• Italian: canone
• Portuguese: cânone
• Russian: кано́н

• Portuguese: cânone
• Russian: кано́н

• French: gros-canon
• German: Missal
• Italian: canone

canon (plural canons)

1. A clergy member serving a cathedral or collegiate church.
2. A canon regular, a member of any of several Roman Catholic religious orders.

• Portuguese: cónego
• Spanish: canónigo

canon (plural canons)

1. Alternative spelling of qanun

1. Surname
2. (Roman Catholicism, with definite article) The Canon of the Mass.

canon (plural canons)

1. (Christianity) Alternative letter-case form of canon: a member of a chapter.
2. (Christianity) ngd Title for a canon.

   Canon Smith is our new parish priest.