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   canon

   /ˈkanən/

   noun

   • 1. a general law, rule, principle, or criterion by which something is judged: "the appointment violated the canons of fair play and equal opportunity" Similar principlerulelawtenetpreceptformulastandardconventionnormpatternmodelexemplarcriterionmeasureyardstickbenchmarktest
   • ▪ a Church decree or law: "a set of ecclesiastical canons" Similar lawdecreeedictstatutedictatedictumordinancerulerulingregulationdecretal
   • 2. a collection or list of sacred books accepted as genuine: "the biblical canon"
   • ▪ the works of a particular author or artist that are recognized as genuine: "the Shakespeare canon" Similar (list of) workswritingsoeuvre
   • ▪ the list of works considered to be permanently established as being of the highest quality: "Hopkins was firmly established in the canon of English poetry"
   • 3. (in the Roman Catholic Church) the part of the Mass containing the words of consecration.
   • 4. a piece in which the same melody is begun in different parts successively, so that the imitations overlap: "the very simple rhythmic structure of this double canon"

   Word Origin Old English: from Latin, from Greek kanōn ‘rule’, reinforced in Middle English by Old French canon.

   Scrabble Points: 7

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