Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A round projectile fired from a cannon.
  • noun A jump into water made with the arms grasping the upraised knees, usually intended to make a big splash.
  • noun Something, such as a fast train, moving with great speed.
  • noun Sports A fast low serve in tennis.
  • intransitive verb To travel with great speed.
  • intransitive verb To jump into water while grasping one's upraised knees with one's arms.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The result of running and jumping in a flexed position into a swimming pool to create a large splash, mimicking the flight and shape of a cannonball.
  • noun slang, figuratively Something that moves fast.
  • noun tennis a served ball that travels with great speed and describes little or no arc in flight.
  • verb To jump/dive into water doing a cannonball landing.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a solid projectile that in former times was fired from a cannon

Etymologies

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Examples

  • This cosmic cannonball is challenging theories to explain its blistering speed.

    November 28th, 2007 2007

  • A few steps away, a kneeling artilleryman lifts one cannonball from a pile, presumably to bring it to the cannoneers for loading.

    Alexis Soyer and the Rise of the Celebrity Chef 2007

  • In our high school class there are only fifteen boys, and every summer some of us camp out by the river and cannonball from the cliffs into the current.

    Lost in the Meritocracy 2005

  • In our high school class there are only fifteen boys, and every summer some of us camp out by the river and cannonball from the cliffs into the current.

    Lost in the Meritocracy 2005

  • One position, known as "cannonball," entails hugging the knees to the chest and swinging upside down in arcs.

    Headstands With the Greatest of Ease Jen Murphy 2011

  • But since Salman's murder he has been unable to write a word 'Human cannonball' plunges to his death as safety net fails at Kent fairground Take responsibility, Arsene, and admit the Gunners have problems Nick Clegg joins in at last to attack 'dinosaurs who are against AV' London is royal party capital: Wills and Kate thrilled by plans for 2,000 outdoor celebrations

    Evening Standard - Home Mira Bar-Hillel 2011

  • Officially, the Panama Limited and later the City of New Orleans, the cannonball was the subject of many great songs, usually about a man getting away from some kind of trouble.

    Expecting Rain 2009

  • Surviving the dissolution of the 'cannonball' which carried them through the sky Ganju and

    The Green Lantern 2010

  • GERALD Whittle was driving with the sun in his eyes and chatting about the weather when a "cannonball" smashed the windscreen of his four-wheel-drive on a Melbourne freeway.

    AustralianIT.com.au | Top Stories 2009

  • Rock thrower shatters windscreen GERALD Whittle was driving with the sun in his eyes and chatting about the weather when a "cannonball" smashed the windscreen of his four-wheel-drive on a Melbourne freeway.

    AustralianIT.com.au | Top Stories 2009

Comments

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  • A dive into the pool that gets everybody wet.

    March 15, 2007

  • Breadfruit variety.

    June 20, 2011