noun · verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˈkænənˌbɔːl/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:K AE1 N AH0 N B AO2 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: engineering, government, military, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, politics, tools, war, weaponry
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: solid shot, ball, round shot
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
An explosive-filled hollow iron sphere fused through a hole and intended to explode at a calculated distance rather than explode on impact.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: engineering, government, military, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, politics, tools, war, weaponry
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: diving, hobbies, lifestyle, sports
Examples
The New Yorker, 30 August 2004, p.40
The cannonball could be called the S.U.V. of the pool — oversized, brash, hormonally hardwired.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
Something that moves fast, especially a fast train.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, slang
Examples
Meetings of the model train club always begin with the song "Wabash Cannonball".
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
A served ball that travels with great speed and describes little or no arc in flight.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: hobbies, lifestyle, sports, tennis
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
To jump or dive into water, performing a cannonball landing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
He cannonballed into the pool, drenching us all.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
verb
Meaning 7
To career; to move rapidly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Examples
The car cannonballed past.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
a solid projectile that in former times was fired from a cannon
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: cannon ball, round shot
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: projectile, missile
History
Etymology
From cannon + ball from being a round ball that is fired from a cannon.
Across languages
Translations
62 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
kanonkoeël
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Albanian:
gjyle
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Armenian:
հրանոթի գնդակ
(hranotʻi gndak)
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Armenian:
թնդանոթի ռմբագունդ
(tʻndanotʻi ṙmbagund)
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Azerbaijani:
güllə
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Azerbaijani:
top topu
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Belarusian:
гарма́тнае ядро́
(harmátnaje jadró)
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Belarusian:
ядро́
(jadró)
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Bengali:
গোলা
(gōla)
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Bulgarian:
гюле́
(gjulé)
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Chinese Mandarin:
砲彈 /炮弹
(pàodàn)
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Czech:
dělová koule
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Danish:
kanonkugle
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Dutch:
kanonskogel
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Finnish:
tykinkuula
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Finnish:
kuula
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
French:
boulet de canon
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
German:
Kanonenkugel
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Hindi:
गोला
(golā)
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Hungarian:
ágyúgolyó
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Ido:
kuglego
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Italian:
palla di cannone
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Japanese:
砲弾
(hōdan)
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Korean:
포탄
(potan)
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Korean:
대포알
(daepoal)
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Ladino:
top
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Macedonian:
ѓу́ле
(ǵúle)
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Maranao:
pinang
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Maranao:
pitonang
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Middle English:
gunneston
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Norman:
balle dé canon
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Norman:
boulet dé canon
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Norwegian Bokmål:
kanonkule
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Norwegian Nynorsk:
kanonkule
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Iranian Persian:
گُلولِهٔ توپ
(golule-ye tup)
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Polish:
kula armatnia
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Portuguese:
bala de canhão
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Romanian:
ghiulea
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Russian:
пу́шечное ядро́
(púšečnoje jadró)
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Russian:
ядро́
(jadró)
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Serbo-Croatian:
ђу̏ле
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Serbo-Croatian:
đȕle
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Slovak:
delová guľa
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Spanish:
bala de cañón
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Swedish:
kanonkula
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Swedish:
kula
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Tajik:
гулӯлаи тӯп
(gulüla-yi tüp)
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Turkish:
gülle
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Ukrainian:
гарма́тне ядро́
(harmátne jadró)
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Ukrainian:
ядро́
(jadró)
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Urdu:
گولا
(golā)
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Uzbek:
toʻp oʻqi
— spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon
Dutch:
bommetje
— jumping with the legs bent and the arms wrapped around the knees
Finnish:
pommi
— jumping with the legs bent and the arms wrapped around the knees
German:
Arschbombe
— jumping with the legs bent and the arms wrapped around the knees
Macedonian:
бо́мба
(bómba)
— jumping with the legs bent and the arms wrapped around the knees
Polish:
bomba
— jumping with the legs bent and the arms wrapped around the knees
Portuguese:
bomba
— jumping with the legs bent and the arms wrapped around the knees
Portuguese:
bala de canhão
— jumping with the legs bent and the arms wrapped around the knees
Spanish:
bomba
— jumping with the legs bent and the arms wrapped around the knees