Definitions for cant
kæntcant

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:3.0 / 2 votes

1. buzzword, cantnoun

   stock phrases that have become nonsense through endless repetition

2. bank, cant, cambernoun

   a slope in the turn of a road or track; the outside is higher than the inside in order to reduce the effects of centrifugal force

3. slang, cant, jargon, lingo, argot, patois, vernacularnoun

   a characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves)

   "they don't speak our lingo"

4. cant, pious platitudenoun

   insincere talk about religion or morals

5. bevel, cant, chamferverb

   two surfaces meeting at an angle different from 90 degrees

6. cant, cant over, tilt, slant, pitchverb

   heel over

   "The tower is tilting"; "The ceiling is slanting"

WiktionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. cantcontraction

   cannot; is unable to; does not have the ability to

   I can't quite get it to work.

2. cantcontraction

   is forbidden to; is not permitted to

   You can't enter the hall without a ticket.

3. cantnoun

   corner, niche

4. cantnoun

   slope, the angle at which something is set.

5. cant

   A movement or throw that overturns something.

6. cantverb

   To set (something) at an angle.

7. cantverb

   To bevel an edge or corner.

8. cant

   To overturn so that the contents are emptied.

9. cantverb

   To divide or parcel out.

10. cantadjective

    lively, lusty.

11. Etymology: From canto probably via canter, cognate with chant.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. CANTnoun

   Etymology: probably from cantus, Lat. implying the odd tone of voice used by vagrants; but imagined by some to be corrupted from quaint.

   1. A corrupt dialect used by beggars and vagabonds.2. A particular form of speaking peculiar to some certain class or body of men.

   I write not always in the proper terms of navigation, land service, or in the cant of any profession. Dryden.

   If we would trace out the original of that flagrant and avowed impiety, which has prevailed among us for some years, we should find, that it owes its rise to that cant and hypocrisy, which had taken possession of the people’s minds in the times of the great rebellion. Joseph Addison, Freeholder, №. 37.

   Astrologers, with an old paltry cant, and a few pot-hooks for planets, to amuse the vulgar, have too long been suffered to abuse the world. Jonathan Swift, Predictions for the Year 1701.

   A few general rules, with a certain cant of words, has sometimes set up an illiterate heavy writer, for a most judicious and formidable critick. Joseph Addison, Spectator, №. 291.

   3. A whining pretension to goodness, in formal and affected terms.

   Of promise prodigal, while pow’r you want,
   And preaching in the self-denying cant. John Dryden, Aurengz.

   4. Barbarous jargon.

   The affectation of some late authours, to introduce and multiply cant words, is the most ruinous corruption in any language. Jonathan Swift.

   5. Auction.

   Numbers of these tenants, or their descendants, are now offering to sell their leases by cant, even those which were for lives. Jonathan Swift.

2. To Cantverb

   To talk in the jargon of particular professions, or in any kind of formal affected language, or with a peculiar and studied tone of voice.

   Etymology: from the noun.

   Men cant endlessly about materia and forma; hunt chimeras by rules of art, or dress up ignorance in words of bulk or sound, which may stop up the mouth of enquiry. Joseph Glanvill, Scepsis Scientifica.

   That uncouth affected garb of speech, or canting language rather, if I may so call it, which they have of late taken up, is the signal distinction and characteristical note of that, which, in that their new language, they call the godly party. Robert Sanderson.

   The busy, subtile serpents of the law,
   Did first my mind from true obedience draw;
   While I did limits to the king prescribe,
   And took for oracles that canting tribe. Wentworth Dillon.

   Unskill’d in schemes by planets to foreshow,
   Like canting rascals, how the wars will go. John Dryden, Juven.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. cant

   Cant is an insincere or hypocritical manner of speaking, usually related to moral or religious matters. It can also refer to a specialized vocabulary or jargon used by a particular group, often used to exclude outsiders. In a different context, especially in terms of architecture or engineering, it is used to describe a slope or tilt.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. Cantnoun

   a corner; angle; niche

2. Cantnoun

   an outer or external angle

3. Cantnoun

   an inclination from a horizontal or vertical line; a slope or bevel; a titl

4. Cantnoun

   a sudden thrust, push, kick, or other impulse, producing a bias or change of direction; also, the bias or turn so give; as, to give a ball a cant

5. Cantnoun

   a segment forming a side piece in the head of a cask

6. Cantnoun

   a segment of he rim of a wooden cogwheel

7. Cantnoun

   a piece of wood laid upon the deck of a vessel to support the bulkheads

8. Cantverb

   to incline; to set at an angle; to tilt over; to tip upon the edge; as, to cant a cask; to cant a ship

9. Cantverb

   to give a sudden turn or new direction to; as, to cant round a stick of timber; to cant a football

10. Cantverb

    to cut off an angle from, as from a square piece of timber, or from the head of a bolt

11. Cantnoun

    an affected, singsong mode of speaking

12. Cantnoun

    the idioms and peculiarities of speech in any sect, class, or occupation

13. Cantnoun

    the use of religious phraseology without understanding or sincerity; empty, solemn speech, implying what is not felt; hypocrisy

14. Cantnoun

    vulgar jargon; slang; the secret language spoker by gipsies, thieves, tramps, or beggars

15. Cantadjective

    of the nature of cant; affected; vulgar

16. Cantverb

    to speak in a whining voice, or an affected, singsong tone

17. Cantverb

    to make whining pretensions to goodness; to talk with an affectation of religion, philanthropy, etc.; to practice hypocrisy; as, a canting fanatic

18. Cantverb

    to use pretentious language, barbarous jargon, or technical terms; to talk with an affectation of learning

19. Cantnoun

    a call for bidders at a public sale; an auction

20. Cantverb

    to sell by auction, or bid a price at a sale by auction

21. Etymology: [Prob. from OF. cant, F. chant, singing, in allusion to the singing or whining tine of voice used by beggars, fr. L. cantus. See Chant.]

WikidataRate this definition:1.0 / 1 vote

1. Cant

   A cant is the jargon or argot of a group, often implying its use to exclude or mislead people outside the group.

Chambers 20th Century DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Cant

   kant, v.i. to speak in a conventional manner: to use the language of thieves, &c.: to talk in an affectedly solemn or hypocritical way.—n. a hypocritical or affected style of speech: the language peculiar to a sect: odd or peculiar talk of any kind: slang: a common saying: affected use of religious phrases or sentiments.—n. Cant′er, one who cants, a beggar: one who makes hypocritical professions.—adj. Cant′ing, whining, pretending to piety: (her.) allusive (see Allusive). [L. cantāre, freq. of canĕre, to sing.]

2. Cant

   kant, n. an inclination from the level: a toss or jerk: a sloping or tilted position: one of the segments forming a side-piece in the head of a cask: a ship's timber lying obliquely to the line of the keel.—v.t. to turn on the edge or corner: to tilt or toss suddenly.—ns. Cant′ing, tilting; Cant′ing-coin; Cant′ing-wheel; Cant′-rail, a timber running along the tops of the upright pieces in the sides of the body of a railway-carriage and supporting the roof and roof-sticks. [Prob. conn. with Dut. kant; Ger. kante, corner.]

3. Cant

   kant, n. sale by auction.—v.t. to sell by auction. [O. Fr. encant, auction; der. uncertain, cf. Low L. incantāre, to put up to auction.]

4. Cant

   kant, adj. brisk: lively. [Scot.; der. unknown. See Canty.]

The Nuttall EncyclopediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Cant

   affectation of thinking, believing, and feeling what one in his heart and reality does not, of which there are two degrees, insincere and sincere; insincere when one cants knowing it, and sincere when one cants without knowing it, the latter being of the darker and deeper dye.

Dictionary of Nautical TermsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. cant

   A cut made in a whale between the neck and the fins, to which the cant-purchase is made fast, for turning the animal round in the operation of flensing.

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. cant

   Song lyrics by cant -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by cant on the Lyrics.com website.

2. CANT

   What does CANT stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the CANT acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.

Etymology and OriginsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Cant

   After Alexander and Andrew Cant, a couple of bigoted Covenanters, who persecuted their religious opponents with relentless zeal, and at the same time prayed for those who suffered on account of their religious opinions.

Surnames Frequency by Census RecordsRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. CANT

   According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Cant is ranked #62531 in terms of the most common surnames in America.
   
   The Cant surname appeared 320 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname Cant.
   
   81.5% or 261 total occurrences were White.
   11.5% or 37 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.
   4.6% or 15 total occurrences were Black.
   1.5% or 5 total occurrences were Asian.

Matched Categories

1. • Non-standard Speech
   • Nonsense
   • Talk

Anagrams for cant »

1. NCTA

How to pronounce cant?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say cant in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of cant in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of cant in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of cant in a Sentence

1. Raul Garcia:

   A lot is riding on this. The fact that you have 80 agencies that follow NEPA and these regulations have been their go-to parameters for last 50 years, I cant stress how big this impact these changes will have.

2. Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage -RRB- Caussin:

   You were so adult around all of this and I commend the hell out of you because that cant be easy, the triggers and the trauma and all of that --nobody would blame you for going off and shooting from the hip so I commend you for the work that you did and for us, the work that we did around the situation.

3. Ted Cruz:

   If someone tells you they're tea party, you can't be tea party and at the same time have supported TARP, you can't be tea party and at the same time have supported Barack Obama's stimulus. You cant be tea party and at the same time support the ethanol mandate because it's good politics in Iowa and support the sugar subsidies because it's good politics in Florida.

4. Yama Nabi:

   We just have to sit in the court and listen, what can we do? We cant do nothing. Just leave it to the justice of New Zealand and the prime minister.

5. Steve Jackson:

   We have no reason to apologize for anything, if youre a communist sympathizer, I cant help you. But none of these people (who have complained about the sign) ever contacted me and asked me what I think.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=cant
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Cant
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=cant
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cant
6. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=cant
7. ^ Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/37683/37683-h/37683-h.htm#:~:text=cant
8. ^ The Nuttall Encyclopedia
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/12342/pg12342-images.html#Cant
9. ^ Dictionary of Nautical Terms
   https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/26000/pg26000-images.html#:~:text=cant
10. ^ Etymology and Origins
    https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/54657/pg54657-images.html#:~:text=cant
11. ^ Surnames Frequency by Census Records
    https://www.census.gov/topics/population/genealogy/data/2010_surnames.html