Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
1,753,427,173 visitors served.
forum mailing list For webmasters
?
New: Language forums
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

loose cannon

   Also found in: Idioms, Wikipedia 0.02 sec.
loose cannon
n. Slang
One that is uncontrolled and therefore poses danger: "[His] bloopers in the White House seem to make him . . . a political loose cannon" (Tom Morgenthau).
[From the threat posed by loose cannon rolling about a warship under sail.]
loose cannon
n
a person or thing that appears to be beyond control and is potentially a source of unintentional damage
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.loose cannon - a person who is expected to perform a particular task but who is out of control and dangerous
individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul - a human being; "there was too much for one person to do"


How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
Add definition
? Mentioned in ? References in periodicals archive
 
With a loose cannon at the helm in North Korea, further "provocative" actions seem likely.
North Korea missile test puts markets on edge by Pro Farmer
Were I to write that book today I would call it The Biggest Loose Cannon in America and leave off the question mark.
The end of the line for Pat Robertson? by Boston, Rob / The Humanist
Democratic National Committee chair Howard Dean was himself considered a loose cannon who some say was pushed aside for the safer, more predictable John Kerry during the 2004 presidential election.
Too pro-gay for the party? Democratic firebrand Paul Hackett dropped ... by Hernandez, Greg / The Advocate (The national gay & lesbian newsmagazine)
More results
 
Dictionary/thesaurus browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Translations
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2009 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.