can·on /'ka-nən/ n [Greek kanōn rod, measuring line, rule]
1 a: a regulation or doctrine decreed by a church council
b: a provision of canon law
2 a: an accepted principle or rule
canon s of descent
b: a body of principles, rules, standards, or norms
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.