cannonball
cannonball Lexical Profile
cannonball Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A heavy, solid spherical projectile made of iron or stone, historically designed to be fired from a cannon.
"The maritime museum displays an iron cannonball recovered from a seventeenth-century shipwreck."
North American A jump into water performed with the knees tucked tightly against the chest and held with the arms to create a large splash.
"The children took turns doing a cannonball off the diving board into the deep end of the pool."
• verb
North American To jump into water with the knees pulled tightly to the chest in order to make a large splash.
"He ran down the wooden dock and cannonballed into the cool lake."
To move, travel, or collide with great speed and force.
"The enthusiastic dog cannonballed across the yard to greet the guests."
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the 16th century as a compound of "cannon" (from Old Italian "cannone", meaning a large tube) and "ball" (from Old Norse "böllr"), referring to the solid spherical projectiles fired by early artillery.