cannon-ball

Noun

cannonball (plural cannonballs)

1. A spherical projectile fired from a smoothbore cannon.

   Synonyms:

   solid shot, ball, round shot

2. An explosive-filled hollow iron sphere fused through a hole and intended to explode at a calculated distance rather than explode on impact.
3. The act of jumping (typically into a swimming pool) with the legs bent and the arms wrapped around the knees to create a large splash, mimicking the flight and shape of a cannonball.
   • The New Yorker, 30 August 2004, p.40
4. (figuratively, slang) Something that moves fast, especially a fast train.
   • Meetings of the model train club always begin with the song "Wabash Cannonball".
5. A served ball that travels with great speed and describes little or no arc in flight.

See all 7 meanings of cannonball