Cannon-ball
a missile, usually round and made of iron or steel, designed to be fired from a cannon.
Tennis. a served ball that travels with great speed and describes little or no arc in flight.
anything that moves with great speed, as an express train.
made from a curled-up position with the arms pressing the knees against one’s chest:
a cannonball dive.
moving at great speed:
a train known as a cannonball express.
Historical Examples
With Moore at Corunna G. A. Henty
Waiting for Daylight Henry Major Tomlinson
Female Warriors, Vol. II (of 2) Ellen C. Clayton
Burlesques William Makepeace Thackeray
The British Expedition to the Crimea William Howard Russell
Fighting the Whales R.M. Ballantyne
The works of Guy de Maupassant, Vol. 5 (of 8) Guy de Maupassant 1850-1893
A Modern Chronicle, Complete Winston Churchill
History of Friedrich II. of Prussia, Vol. XVIII. (of XXI.) Thomas Carlyle
Autobiography of Frank G. Allen, Minister of the Gospel Frank G. Allen
noun
a projectile fired from a cannon: usually a solid round metal shot
(tennis)
a very fast low serve
(as modifier): a cannonball serve
a jump into water by a person who has his arms tucked into the body to form a ball
verb (intransitive)
often foll by along, etc. to rush along, like a cannonball
to execute a cannonball jump
adjective
very fast or powerful
n.
A fast express or freight train (1915+ Hoboes)
A message sent from one prisoner to another, or from a prisoner to friends outside (1920+ Prison)
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a missile, usually round and made of iron or steel, designed to be fired from a cannon. Tennis. a served ball that travels with great speed and describes little or no arc in flight. anything that moves with great speed, as an express train. made from a curled-up position with the arms pressing the knees […]
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