Definition of canon in English

WordNet

Noun Plural: canons
canon - a collection of books accepted as holy scripture especially the books of the Bible recognized by any Christian church as genuine and inspired
		sacred scripture, scripture any writing that is regarded as sacred by a religious group
canon - a complete list of saints that have been recognized by the Roman Catholic Church
		list, listing a database containing an ordered array of items (names or topics)
canon - a rule or especially body of rules or principles generally established as valid and fundamental in a field or art or philosophy; "the neoclassical canon"; "canons of polite society"
		prescript, rule measuring stick consisting of a strip of wood or metal or plastic with a straight edge that is used for drawing straight lines and measuring lengths
canon - a contrapuntal piece of music in which a melody in one part is imitated exactly in other parts
		musical composition, opus, piece of music, composition, piece a musical work that has been created; "the composition is written in four movements"
canon - a priest who is a member of a cathedral chapter
		priest a clergyman in Christian churches who has the authority to perform or administer various religious rites; one of the Holy Orders
canon - a ravine formed by a river in an area with little rainfall
		canyon
		ravine a deep narrow steep-sided valley (especially one formed by running water)
		north america the nations of the North American continent collectively

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Wiktionary

canon (Noun)
A generally accepted principle; a rule.
canon (Noun)
A group of literary works that are generally accepted as representing a field.
canon (Noun)
The works of a writer that have been accepted as authentic.
canon (Noun)
A eucharistic prayer, particularly the Roman Canon .
canon (Noun)
A religious law or body of law decreed by the church.
canon (Noun)
A catalogue of saints acknowledged and canonized in the Roman Catholic Church .
canon (Noun)
In monasteries, a book containing the rules of a religious order.
canon (Noun)
A member of a cathedral chapter; one who possesses a prebend in a cathedral or collegiate church.
canon (Noun)
A piece of music in which the same melody is played by different voices, but beginning at different times.
canon (Noun)
Those sources, especially including literary works, which are generally considered authoritative regarding a given fictional universe.
canon (Noun)
A rolled and filleted loin of meat.
canon (Noun)
The largest size of type with a specific name, formerly used for printing the canons of the church.
canon (Noun)
The part of a bell by which it is suspended; the ear or shank of a bell.
canon (Noun)
A carom.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

canon (n.)
A law or rule.
canon (n.)
A law, or rule of doctrine or discipline, enacted by a council and confirmed by the pope or the sovereign; a decision, regulation, code, or constitution made by ecclesiastical authority.
canon (n.)
The collection of books received as genuine Holy Scriptures, called the sacred canon, or general rule of moral and religious duty, given by inspiration; the Bible; also, any one of the canonical Scriptures. See Canonical books, under Canonical, a.
canon (n.)
In monasteries, a book containing the rules of a religious order.
canon (n.)
A catalogue of saints acknowledged and canonized in the Roman Catholic Church.
canon (n.)
A member of a cathedral chapter; a person who possesses a prebend in a cathedral or collegiate church.
canon (n.)
A musical composition in which the voices begin one after another, at regular intervals, successively taking up the same subject. It either winds up with a coda (tailpiece), or, as each voice finishes, commences anew, thus forming a perpetual fugue or round. It is the strictest form of imitation. See Imitation.
canon (n.)
The largest size of type having a specific name; -- so called from having been used for printing the canons of the church.
canon (n.)
The part of a bell by which it is suspended; -- called also ear and shank.
canon (n.)
See Carom.

OmegaWiki DictionaryOmegaWiki Dictionary Ω

canon
A valley, especially a long, narrow, steep valley, cut in rock by a river.
canon
A generally accepted principle.
canon
A member of a church assigned to a cathedral.

Chambers DictionaryChamber's 20th Century Dictionary 📕

canon
kan-yon′, n. a deep gorge or ravine between high and steep banks, worn by watercourses. [Sp. cañon, a hollow, from root of Cannon.]
canon
kan′un, n. a law or rule, esp. in ecclesiastical matters: a general rule: standard: the books of Scripture accepted as the standard or rule of faith by the Christian Church: a species of musical composition: one bound by certain vows over and above those binding upon regular members of his community—a canon regular: a clerical dignitary belonging to a cathedral, enjoying special emoluments, and obliged to reside there part of the year: a list of saints canonised: (print.) a large kind of type.—n. Can′oness, a female beneficiary of a regular religious college.—adjs. Canon′ic, -al, according to or included in the canon: regular: ecclesiastical.—adv. Canon′ically.—n.pl. Canon′icals, the official dress of the clergy, regulated by the church canons.—ns. Canonic′ity, the state of belonging to the canon of Scripture; Canonisā′tion.—v.t. Can′onise, to enrol in the canon or list of saints.—n. Can′onist, one versed in the canon law.—adj. Canonist′ic.—ns. Can′on-law, a digest of the formal decrees of councils, œcumenical, general, and local, of diocesan and national synods, and of patriarchal decisions as to doctrine and discipline; Can′onry, the benefice of a canon.—Canon of the mass, that part of the mass which begins after the 'Sanctus' with the prayer 'Te igitur,' and ends just before the 'Paternoster;' Canon residentiary, a canon obliged to reside at a cathedral and take a share in the duty; Honorary canon, one having the titular rank of canon in a cathedral, but without duties or emoluments; Minor canon, a cleric in orders, attached to a cathedral, his duty being to assist the canons in singing divine service. [A.S., Fr., from L. canon—Gr. kanōn, a straight rod—kannē, a reed.]

Wikipedia

“Canon” comes from a Latin word meaning “rule” or “law”.
company
Canon is a company in Japan that produces cameras, film, and other products related to photography.

History.

Canon started life as the Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory in 1937. In 1934, the first ever camera prototype made in Japan was made by the Canon company, called the Kwanon. In the next few years, Canon became an innovating force, creating and improving on new camera products.

Today, Canon creates everything from digital cameras and camcorders to laser printers and film.

Name Origins.

The name Canon came from a product. The company's first 35mm camera was named 'Kwanon' after a Buddist goddess.

Locations.

Canon is now an international company. Canon has buildings in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Japan, Asia, and the South Seas.
music
A canon is a piece of music in which two or more voices (or instrumental parts) sing or play the same music starting at different times. A round is a type of canon, but in a round each voice, when it finishes, can start at the beginning again so that the piece can go “round and round”.

Different types of canon.

There are different kinds of canon. Canons can be described according to distances between the entries of the voices. If the second voice starts one bar (one measure) after the first voice, this is called a “canon at the bar”. If it starts after only half a bar, it is called a “canon at the half-bar”. It is even possible to have very close canons, e.g. “canon at the quaver (eighth note)”. Messiaen wrote a 3 part canon at the quaver in his "Thème et Variations for violin and piano. The pianist’s right hand (playing chords), his left hand and the violinist are the three parts.

Canons can also be described according to the intervals between two voices. If one voice starts on a C and the next voice starts the same tune on an F above this is a “canon at the fourth” (because the interval (distance) from C to F is called a “perfect fourth”). If the second voice has the tune upside down (inversion) this is called “canon in inversion”. If the second voice has the tune at half the speed (each note being twice as long) this is a “canon in augmentation” or an “augmented canon”. The opposite is a “canon in diminution”.

“Strict canon” means a canon where each voice imitates the firs