canon

Noun

• a collection of books accepted as holy scripture especially the books of the Bible recognized by any Christian church as genuine and inspired

• a complete list of saints that have been recognized by the Roman Catholic Church

• a contrapuntal piece of music in which a melody in one part is imitated exactly in other parts

• a ravine formed by a river in an area with little rainfall

• a priest who is a member of a cathedral chapter

• a rule or especially body of rules or principles generally established as valid and fundamental in a field or art or philosophy
  • the neoclassical canon
    
  • canons of polite society