What is a Cannon?

The cannon is a type of artillery, usually large and looks like a cylinder, that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellants to launch off a projectile over a distance. Cannons vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower. Different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees, depending on their intended use on the battlefield. The word cannon is derived from several languages, in which the original definition can most of the be translated as a tube or cane. In modern times, cannons has fallen out of common usage, usually replaced by "guns" or "artillery", if not a more specific term, such as "mortar" or "howitzer".