water cannon

noun

: a large truck-mounted nozzle for directing a high-pressure stream of water (as at a crowd of rioters or demonstrators)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Videos show heavily armed state security forces with guns and batons facing off with protesters and using tear gas guns as well as armored water cannon trucks to repress the protests. Hanna Lustig, Glamour, 23 Sep. 2022 In the elephant habitat, staff have the option of spraying a large water cannon to help cool animals down even further. Dallas News, 8 Aug. 2022 In an agonizing prelude to what would happen years later, women and children cowered in the basement as a bulldozer rammed through the fence and a water cannon gushed through a window in an effort to flood them out. Bronwen Dickey, New York Times, 19 Oct. 2022 Police use water cannon to disperse antigovernment protesters in Colombo on Wednesday. Reuters, NBC News, 7 July 2022 The incidents have included dangerously close fly-bys that force other pilots to swerve to avoid collisions, or harassment or obstruction of air and ship crews, including with blinding lasers or water cannon. Lolita C. Baldor, Anchorage Daily News, 27 July 2022 There are fears of escalation, especially after police used a water cannon to disperse crowds during protests last month. Regine Cabato, Washington Post, 30 June 2022 Police fired tear gas and a water cannon and arrested 54 people. Krishan Francis, ajc, 2 Apr. 2022 JakartaIndonesian police fired tear gas and water cannon on Monday to disperse hundreds of university students protesting high cooking oil prices and a mooted extension of President Joko Widodo's stay in office. Reuters, CNN, 11 Apr. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'water cannon.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of water cannon was in 1891

Dictionary Entries Near water cannon

Cite this Entry

“Water cannon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/water%20cannon. Accessed 27 Mar. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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