cant1

[kant] /kænt/
noun
1.
insincere, especially conventional expressions of enthusiasm for high ideals, goodness, or piety.
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)
5.
to talk hypocritically.
6.
to speak in the whining or singsong tone of a beggar; beg.
Origin
1495-1505; < Latin base cant- in cantus song, canticus singsong, etc., whence Old English cantere singer, cantic song; see chant
Related forms
cantingly, adverb
Can be confused
cant, jargon, slang.
Synonyms
1. hypocrisy, sham, pretense, humbug.

cant2

[kant] /kænt/
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, bank1 (def 6).
7.
a sudden pitch or toss.
8.
Also called flitch. a partly trimmed log.
adjective
9.
oblique or slanting.
verb (used with object)
10.
to bevel; form an oblique surface upon.
11.
to put in an oblique position; tilt; tip.
12.
to throw with a sudden jerk.
verb (used without object)
13.
to take or have an inclined position; tilt; turn.
Origin
1325-75; Middle English: side, border < Anglo-French cant, Old French chant < a Romance base *cantu(m) with the related senses “rim, border” and “angle corner,” probably < Celtic; compare Latin cant(h)us iron tire (< Celtic), Welsh cant periphery, rim, felloe; probably not akin to Greek kanthós corner of the eye; cf. canteen, cantle, canton
Related forms
cantic, adjective

cant3

[kahnt] /kɑnt/
adjective, Scot. and North England
1.
hearty; merry.
Origin
1250-1300; Middle English < Low German kant merry, bold

can't

[kant, kahnt] /kænt, kɑnt/
1.
contraction of cannot.
Can be confused
can't, cant, Kant.
Usage note
See can1, cannot, contraction.

Cant.

1.
Canterbury.
2.
Cantonese.
Examples from the web for cant
  • It seems to me when workers dont have jobs, the economy cant function as those workers can not spend money.
  • Constructive suggestions are rare in a debate that has mixed a lot of rhetorical cant with a big principle.
  • Recruitment was supported by alluring spiritual benefits as well as cant.
  • We try to hold on to some moral thread and cant help being full of pride.
  • Those attempting to improve the human lot worried that they themselves could be in the grip of internal cant.
  • Everyone thinks his debunking of wrongdoing clothed by cant applies beautifully to their political opponents.
  • He says media attention may have delayed the hunt for a few days, but he cant stay for the whole six months of the hunt.
  • The final product is a student that cant read or write at the college level.
  • We have students walking around saying they have a college degree and still cant spell college.
  • Why rebook on flights when you know you cant get planes in because of the storm.
British Dictionary definitions for cant

cant1

/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
5.
(intransitive) to speak in or use cant
Derived Forms
canter, noun
cantingly, adverb
Word Origin
C16: probably via Norman French canter to sing, from Latin cantāre; used disparagingly, from the 12th century, of chanting in religious services

cant2

/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 (transitive)
6.
to tip, tilt, or overturn, esp with a sudden jerk
7.
to set in an oblique position
8.
another word for bevel (sense 1)
adjective
9.
oblique; slanting
10.
having flat surfaces and without curves
Derived Forms
cantic, adjective
Word Origin
C14 (in the sense: edge, corner): perhaps from Latin canthus iron hoop round a wheel, of obscure origin

cant3

/kɑːnt/
adjective
1.
(Scot & Northern English, dialect) lusty; merry; hearty
Word Origin
C14: related to Low German kant bold, merry

Cant.

abbreviation
1.
Canterbury
2.
(Bible) Canticles

can't

/kɑːnt/
contraction
1.
cannot
Word Origin and History for cant
n.

"insincere talk," 1709, earlier it was slang for "whining of beggars" (1640s), from the verb in this sense (1560s), from Old North French canter (Old French chanter) "to sing, chant," from Latin cantare, frequentative of canere "to sing" (see chant (v.)). Sense in English developed after 1680 to mean the jargon of criminals and vagabonds, thence applied contemptuously by any sect or school to the phraseology of its rival.

... Slang is universal, whilst Cant is restricted in usage to certain classes of the community: thieves, vagrom men, and -- well, their associates. ... Slang boasts a quasi-respectability denied to Cant, though Cant is frequently more enduring, its use continuing without variation of meaning for many generations. [John S. Farmer, Forewords to "Musa Pedestris," 1896]

"slope, slant," late 14c., Scottish, "edge, brink," from Old North French cant "corner" (perhaps via Middle Low German kante or Middle Dutch kant), from Vulgar Latin *canthus, from Latin cantus "iron tire of a wheel," possibly from a Celtic word meaning "rim of wheel, edge" (cf. Welsh cant "bordering of a circle, tire, edge," Breton cant "circle"), from PIE *kam-bo- "corner, bend," from root *kemb- "to bend, turn, change" (cf. Greek kanthos "corner of the eye," Russian kutu "corner").

can't

v.

1706, contraction of cannot.

Related Abbreviations for cant

Cant.

  1. Canterbury
  2. Canticle of Canticles
  3. Cantonese
Idioms and Phrases with cant

can't

also see:
also see under:
can