cant

¹

[ kant ]

noun

1. insincere, especially conventional expressions of enthusiasm for high ideals, goodness, or piety.

   Synonyms: humbug, pretense, sham, hypocrisy

2. the private language of the underworld.
3. the phraseology peculiar to a particular class, party, profession, etc.:

   the cant of the fashion industry.

4. whining or singsong speech, especially of beggars.

verb (used without object)

1. to talk hypocritically.
2. to speak in the whining or singsong tone of a beggar; beg.

cant

²

[ kant ]

noun

1. a salient angle.
2. a sudden movement that tilts or overturns a thing.
3. a slanting or tilted position.
4. an oblique line or surface, as one formed by cutting off the corner of a square of cube.
5. an oblique or slanting face of anything.
6. Civil Engineering. bank ¹( def 6 ).
7. a sudden pitch or toss.
8. Also called flitch. a partly trimmed log.

adjective

1. oblique or slanting.

verb (used with object)

1. to bevel; form an oblique surface upon.
2. to put in an oblique position; tilt; tip.
3. to throw with a sudden jerk.

verb (used without object)

1. to take or have an inclined position; tilt; tip.

cant

³

[ kahnt ]

adjective

, Scot. and North England.

1. hearty; merry.

can't

⁴

[ kant, kahnt ]

1. contraction of cannot.

Cant.

⁵

abbreviation for

1. Canterbury.
2. Cantonese.

cant

¹

/ kɑːnt /

adjective

1. dialect.
   lusty; merry; hearty

cant

²

/ kænt /

noun

1. inclination from a vertical or horizontal plane; slope; slant
2. a sudden movement that tilts or turns something
3. the angle or tilt thus caused
4. a corner or outer angle, esp of a building
5. an oblique or slanting surface, edge, or line

verb

1. to tip, tilt, or overturn, esp with a sudden jerk
2. to set in an oblique position
3. another word for bevel

adjective

1. oblique; slanting
2. having flat surfaces and without curves

can't

³

/ kɑːnt /

contraction of

1. cannot

Cant.

⁴

abbreviation for

1. Canterbury
2. Bible Canticles

cant

⁵

/ kænt /

noun

1. insincere talk, esp concerning religion or morals; pious platitudes
2. stock phrases that have become meaningless through repetition
3. specialized vocabulary of a particular group, such as thieves, journalists, or lawyers; jargon
4. singsong whining speech, as used by beggars

verb

1. intr to speak in or use cant

Usage Note

See contraction.

Spelling Note

See cannot.

Derived Forms

• ˈcantic, adjective
• ˈcantingly, adverb
• ˈcanter, noun

Other Words From

• canting·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of cant¹

First recorded in 1495–1505; from Latin base cant- in cantus “song,” canticus “singsong,” etc., whence Old English cantere “singer,” cantic “song”; chant

Origin of cant²

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English: “side, part, border,” from Anglo-French cant, Old French chant, from an unrecorded Romance cantu(m) with the related senses “rim, border” and “angle corner,” probably from Celtic; compare Latin cant(h)us “tire, iron tire” (from Celtic kantos ), Welsh cant “periphery, rim, felloe” canteen, cantle, canton

Origin of cant³

First recorded in 1325–1375; Middle English cant, kant, kaunt “bold, brave, fierce,” from Low German kant “merry, bold”

Word History and Origins

Origin of cant¹

C14: related to Low German kant bold, merry

Origin of cant²

C14 (in the sense: edge, corner): perhaps from Latin canthus iron hoop round a wheel, of obscure origin

Origin of cant³

C16: probably via Norman French canter to sing, from Latin cantāre; used disparagingly, from the 12th century, of chanting in religious services

Idioms and Phrases

• beggars can't be choosers
• if you can't beat them, join them
• you can't take it with you
• you can't win them all
• can

Example Sentences

Buettner says he wasn’t involved in that process and can’t comment on it.

From Science Magazine

The comedian further elaborated that you "can't be gay in show business."

From Salon

The ENO’s initial reluctance to agree to the idea of a relocation led Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to tell them: "If you can't come willingly, don't come at all."

From BBC

“One person can’t make much change on a systemic level, but a group of people can,” she said.

From Salon

“Mr. Watkins, don’t leave,” Mrs. Tarter said, separating me from my rambunctious friend group who continued down the hall, “You know the work. You are smart, you are a leader. I can’t say the same for the company you keep. I don’t understand why you are risking your future on meaningless jokes, but hey, it’s your life.”

From Salon