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.
to talk hypocritically.
to speak in the whining or singsong tone of a beggar; beg.
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.
a sudden pitch or toss.
Also called flitch. a partly trimmed log.
Canterbury.
Cantonese.
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
to tip, tilt, or overturn, esp with a sudden jerk
to set in an oblique position
another word for bevel
oblique; slanting
having flat surfaces and without curves
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
Canterbury
Bible Canticles
See cannot.
See contraction.
First recorded in 1495–1505; from Latin base cant- in cantus “song,” canticus “singsong,” etc., whence Old English cantere “singer,” cantic “song”; see chant
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” cf. canteen, cantle, canton
First recorded in 1325–1375; Middle English cant, kant, kaunt “bold, brave, fierce,” from Low German kant “merry, bold”
How does cant compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Cant is language repeated so often and so mechanically that it's essentially empty of meaning. Cant can also mean the specialized jargon of a particular group — like the "cant of piracy" (e.g., Ahoy! Lubber! Arrr!). Possible sources for cant exist in both Irish Gaelic and Latin, and the meanings of both are similar: caint is "speech," while cantare is "to sing." In broader English, the word was first used to mock the singing of monks. As it evolved, cant became the whining of beggars and then the secret language of thieves, and the negative connotations persist in modern usage. As a verb, cant has a completely different meaning: it means to lean or tilt to one side.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ms. Kobza’s opening chapters are disfigured by the melted wax of academic cant.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
Davidson referenced a New York Times article about trouble with their business venture, but said, “I cant spend $5 on a paywall when I have a kid on the way.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2025
"The cant rail, a stainless-steel exterior trim panel, can delaminate and detach from the vehicle," the notice said.
From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2025
“Trying to do the least with the most, him being 58. and he doesn’t want to help me financially. also he turns everything on you cant take ownership for anything,” said another.
From Seattle Times ● May 15, 2024
“Sounds like your friends need you,” Peter says with the flash of a smile—or bared teeth, I cant tell.
From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
As he starts his term as Fed chair, Warsh can’t count on the support of his fellow governors for his agenda, Bianco said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 25, 2026
"I can't believe it. Now we don't have noise and all our equipment is still working," Arevalo, 59, told AFP from his food cart parked under the shade of trees in a Queens park.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
“You can’t rule that out that she would have been holding the instrument that caused either of those wounds?” the attorney asked.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
"This does leave the BBC with a problem if and when Graham decides to retire, because if Claudia can't do it, I don't know who can," says Singh.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
“You see how insane things got? This was a month ago. Now it’s getting even worse. You can’t be a part of that, Janice. It’s too dangerous,” Dad says.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
To awaken them from their security, and to set them to a more diligent following of duty; as we see in the spouse, Cant. v.
From Christ: The Way, the Truth, and the Life by Brown, John (of Wamphray)
Branthwaite, William Branthwaite Cant., and "Thy assured friend" R. B., have each written Commendatory Verses to all the Works of John Taylor.
From The Pennyles Pilgrimage Or The Money-lesse Perambulation of John Taylor by Taylor, John
It is to this experience that Cant. ii.
From Christian Mysticism by Inge, William Ralph
As the bridegroom says to the bride, in Cant. iii.,
From The Epistles of St. Peter and St. Jude Preached and Explained by Gillett, E. H. (Ezra Hall)
Cant. viii. 5-14 We have now reached the closing section of this book, which, as we have seen, is a poem describing the life of a believer on earth.
From Union And Communion or Thoughts on the Song of Solomon by Taylor, James Hudson
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.
