Canon – A musical piece in which a melody is imitated by one or more parts after a delay

(Pronounced ka-nun)

To remember what canon is, use the following mnemonic:

The cannon (canon) was imitated by the drums after a short delay.

Examples of canon in a sentence

During a canon, a lead melody is then imitated by another.

The composer wrote a canon for the special occasion.

The string quartet played a canon.