Young Brunette Girl Shows Off On The Cannon

Cannon also transformed naval warfare in the early modern period, as European navies took advantage of their firepower. As rifling became more commonplace, the accuracy of cannon was significantly improved, and they became deadlier than ever, especially to infantry. In World War I, the majority of all deaths were caused by cannon; they were also used widely in World War II. Most modern cannon are similar to those used in the Second World War, except for heavy naval guns, which have been replaced by missiles. In particular, autocannon have remained nearly identical to their World War II counterparts.
In addition to their widespread use in warfare, cannon are also used for a number of peaceful purposes such as avalanche control.
Cannon is derived from the Old Italian word cannone, meaning large tube, which came from Latin canna, in turn originating from the kannē—Greek for cane, or reed, and then generalized to mean any hollow tube-like object; ultimately deriving from the Akkadian term qanu, meaning tube or reed. The word has been used to refer to a gun since 1326 in Italy, and 1418 in England. Cannon serves both as the singular and plural of the noun, although the plural cannons is also accepted in American English.