This is a pretty good definition from this website:
A canon is a piece of music that uses imitative counterpoint (see fugue). So, if a fugue is counterpoint, and canon is counterpoint – whats the difference?
Well, in a fugue, an entire musical theme is stated (or mostly stated) before the next one starts in. In a canon, the first one just gets going when the next one starts. Rounds (like ‘Row, row, row your boat’) are special canons called perpetual canons.