canon

Main Entry:: ¹can·on
Pronunciation:: \ˈka-nən\
Function:: noun
Etymology:: Middle English, from Old English, from Late Latin, from Latin, ruler, rule, model, standard, from Greek kanōn
Date:: before 12th century

1 a: a regulation or dogma decreed by a church council b: a provision of canon law2 [Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin, from Latin, model] : the most solemn and unvarying part of the Mass including the consecration of the bread and wine3 [Middle English, from Late Latin, from Latin, standard] a: an authoritative list of books accepted as Holy Scripture b: the authentic works of a writer c: a sanctioned or accepted group or body of related works <the canon of great literature>4 a: an accepted principle or rule b: a criterion or standard of judgment c: a body of principles, rules, standards, or norms5 [Late Greek kanōn, from Greek, model] : a contrapuntal musical composition in which each successively entering voice presents the initial theme usually transformed in a strictly consistent way

synonyms see law

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