Advertisement
Advertisement
View synonyms for cant
cant
1[ kant ]
noun
- insincere, especially conventional expressions of enthusiasm for high ideals, goodness, or piety.
- the private language of the underworld.
- the phraseology peculiar to a particular class, party, profession, etc.:
the cant of the fashion industry.
- whining or singsong speech, especially of beggars.
verb (used without object)
- to talk hypocritically.
- to speak in the whining or singsong tone of a beggar; beg.
cant
2[ kant ]
noun
- a salient angle.
- a sudden movement that tilts or overturns a thing.
- a slanting or tilted position.
- an oblique line or surface, as one formed by cutting off the corner of a square of cube.
- an oblique or slanting face of anything.
- Civil Engineering. bank 1( def 6 ).
- a sudden pitch or toss.
- Also called flitch. a partly trimmed log.
adjective
- oblique or slanting.
verb (used with object)
- to bevel; form an oblique surface upon.
- to throw with a sudden jerk.
can't
4[ kant, kahnt ]
- contraction of cannot.
Cant.
5abbreviation for
- Canterbury.
- Cantonese.
cant
1/ kɑːnt /
adjective
- dialect.lusty; merry; hearty
cant
2/ kænt /
noun
- inclination from a vertical or horizontal plane; slope; slant
- a sudden movement that tilts or turns something
- the angle or tilt thus caused
- a corner or outer angle, esp of a building
- an oblique or slanting surface, edge, or line
verb
- to tip, tilt, or overturn, esp with a sudden jerk
- to set in an oblique position
- another word for bevel
adjective
- oblique; slanting
- having flat surfaces and without curves
can't
3/ kɑːnt /
contraction of
- cannot
Cant.
4abbreviation for
- Canterbury
- Bible Canticles
cant
5/ kænt /
noun
- insincere talk, esp concerning religion or morals; pious platitudes
- stock phrases that have become meaningless through repetition
- specialized vocabulary of a particular group, such as thieves, journalists, or lawyers; jargon
- singsong whining speech, as used by beggars
verb
- intr to speak in or use cant
Discover More
Usage Note
See contraction.
Discover More
Spelling Note
See cannot.
Discover More
Derived Forms
- ˈcantic, adjective
- ˈcantingly, adverb
- ˈcanter, noun
Discover More
Other Words From
- canting·ly adverb
Discover More
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”
Discover More
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
Discover More
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
Advertisement
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse