Definition of canon
(Entry 1 of 3)
1a
: a regulation or dogma decreed by a church council
b
: a provision of canon law
2
[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 wine
3
[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
the Chaucer canon
c
: a sanctioned or accepted group or body of related works
the canon of great literature
4a
: an accepted principle or rule
b
: a criterion or standard of judgment
the canons of good taste
c
: a body of principles, rules, standards, or norms
according to newspaper canon … a big story calls for a lot of copy— A. J. Liebling
5
[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
canon
noun (2)Definition of canon (Entry 2 of 3)
1
: a clergyman belonging to the chapter or the staff of a cathedral or collegiate church
2
: canon regular
cañon
noun (3)
ca·ñon
less common spelling of canyon
1
: a deep narrow valley with steep sides and often with a stream flowing through it
2
: something resembling a canyon
the city's concrete canyons
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Time Traveler for canon
The first known use of canon was before the 12th century
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