canon — Defs

01 n. A law or rule.

1.
A law or rule.
“Or that the Everlasting had not fixed His canon 'gainst self-slaughter.” — Shak.
2.
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.(Eccl.)
“Various canons which were made in councils held in the second centry.” — Hook.
3.
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. Also: sacred canon See: Canonical
4.
In monasteries, a book containing the rules of a religious order.
5.
A catalogue of saints acknowledged and canonized in the Roman Catholic Church.
6.
A member of a cathedral chapter; a person who possesses a prebend in a cathedral or collegiate church.
7.
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.(Mus.) See: Imitation
8.
The largest size of type having a specific name; -- so called from having been used for printing the canons of the church.(Print.)
9.
The part of a bell by which it is suspended; -- called also ear and shank. Also: ear, shank
10.
See Carom.(Billiards) See: Carom

Phrases & compounds

Apostolical canons — See under Apostolical.

Augustinian canons — See under Augustinian.

Canon capitular — a resident member of a cathedral chapter (during a part or the whole of the year).

Canon law — See under Law.

Canon of the Mass — that part of the mass, following the Sanctus, which never changes.

Honorary canon — a canon{6} who neither lived in a monastery, nor kept the canonical hours.

Minor canon — one who has been admitted to a chapter, but has not yet received a prebend.

Regular canon — one who lived in a conventual community and followed the rule of St. Austin; a Black canon.

Secular canon — one who did not live in a monastery, but kept the hours.