Obs. Forms: 6 cannyon, 6–7 canion, canyon, 7–8 cannion; also 6–7 canon, 7 cannon. [In form canion, a. Sp. cañon tube, pipe, gun-barrel, ‘the cannions of breeches’ (= F. canon, It. cannone), augmentative of caña, It. canna tube: see CANNON. The F. form canon was also used in the same sense.]
pl. Ornamental rolls, sometimes indented, sometimes plain or straight, laid like sausages round the ends of the legs of breeches.
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus. (1877), 56. Hose … with Canions annexed reaching down beneath their knees.
1598. Henslowe, Diary, April (Fairholt). A payer of paned hose … drawne out with cloth of silver and canyons to the same. Ibid. Hose … laid with silver lace and canons of cloth of silver.
1611. Cotgr., Chausses à queue de merlus, round breeches with strait cannions.
1660. Pepys, Diary, 24 May. Made myself as fine as I could, with the linning stockings on and wide canons.
1677. Songs Costume (1849), 182. By thy dangling pantaloons, And thy ruffling port cannons.
1706. Phillips, Cannions, old fashioned ornament for the Legs.
1834. Planché, Brit. Costume, 266. Closer-fitting hose … with the canions, or canons attached.
1860. Fairholt, Costume, 412. Canions…. They … are constantly seen in portraits of Henry III. of France and his court.
Hence Canioned a., having canions.
1607. Dekker & Webster, Northw. Hoe, II. i. Wks. 1873, III. 20. The bragging velure-caniond hobbi-horses.
