Cannel coal
(Can"nel coal`) [Corrupt. fr. candle coal.] A kind of mineral coal of a black color, sufficiently
hard and solid to be cut and polished. It burns readily, with a clear, yellow flame, and on this account
has been used as a substitute for candles.
Cannery
(Can"ner*y) n. A place where the business of canning fruit, meat, etc., is carried on. [U. S.]
Cannibal
(Can"ni*bal) n. [Cf. F. cannibale. Columbus, in a letter to the Spanish monarchs written in
Oct., 1498, mentions that the people of Hayti lived in great fear of the Caribales (equivalent to E. Caribbees.),
the inhabitants of the smaller Antilles; which form of the name was afterward changed into NL. Canibales,
in order to express more forcibly their character by a word intelligible through a Latin root "propter rabiem
caninam anthropophagorum gentis." The Caribbees call themselves, in their own language. Calinago,
Carinago, Calliponam, and, abbreviated, Calina, signifying a brave, from which Columbus formed his
Caribales.] A human being that eats human flesh; hence, any that devours its own kind. Darwin.
Cannibal
(Can"ni*bal) a. Relating to cannibals or cannibalism. "Cannibal terror." Burke.
Cannibalism
(Can"ni*bal*ism) n. [Cf. F. cannibalisme.] The act or practice of eating human flesh by
mankind. Hence; Murderous cruelty; barbarity. Berke.
Cannibally
(Can"ni*bal*ly), adv. In the manner of cannibal. "An he had been cannibally given." Shak.
Cannikin
(Can"ni*kin) n. [Can + -kin.] A small can or drinking vessel.
Cannily
(Can"ni*ly), adv. In a canny manner. [N. of Eng. & Scot.]
Canniness
(Can"ni*ness), n. Caution; crafty management. [N. of Eng. & Scot.]
Cannon
(Can"non) n.; pl. Cannons collectively Cannon. [F. cannon, fr. L. canna reed, pipe, tube.
See Cane.]
1. A great gun; a piece of ordnance or artillery; a firearm for discharging heavy shot with great force.
Cannons are made of various materials, as iron, brass, bronze, and steel, and of various sizes and shapes
with respect to the special service for which they are intended, as intended, as siege, seacoast, naval,
field, or mountain, guns. They always aproach more or less nearly to a cylindrical from, being usually
thicker toward the breech than at the muzzle. Formerly they were cast hollow, afterwards they were
cast, solid, and bored out. The cannon now most in use for the armament of war vessels and for seacoast
defense consists of a forged steel tube reinforced with massive steel rings shrunk upon it. Howitzers
and mortars are sometimes called cannon. See Gun.
2. (Mech.) A hollow cylindrical piece carried by a revolving shaft, on which it may, however, revolve
independently.
3. (Printing.) A kind of type. See Canon.
Cannon ball, strictly, a round solid missile of stone or iron made to be fired from a cannon, but now
often applied to a missile of any shape, whether solid or hollow, made for cannon. Elongated and cylindrical
missiles are sometimes called bolts; hollow ones charged with explosives are properly called shells. —
Cannon bullet, a cannon ball. [Obs.] — Cannon cracker, a fire cracker of large size. — Cannon
lock, a device for firing a cannon by a percussion primer. — Cannon metal. See Gun Metal. —
Cannon pinion, the pinion on the minute hand arbor of a watch or clock, which drives the hand but
permits it to be moved in setting. — Cannon proof, impenetrable by cannon balls. — Cannon shot.
(a) A cannon ball. (b) The range of a cannon.
