cant
1insincere, 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.
Origin of cant
1Other words for cant
Other words from cant
- cant·ing·ly, adverb
Words that may be confused with cant
Other definitions for cant (2 of 5)
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. bank1 (def. 6).
a sudden pitch or toss.
Also called flitch. a partly trimmed log.
oblique or slanting.
to throw with a sudden jerk.
Origin of cant
2Other words from cant
- cantic, adjective
Other definitions for cant (3 of 5)
Origin of cant
3Other definitions for can't (4 of 5)
contraction of cannot.
usage note For can't
usage note For can't
Words that may be confused with can't
- cant, can't
Other definitions for Cant. (5 of 5)
Canterbury.
Cantonese.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use cant in a sentence
Subscribers in the British Provinces will remit twenty cants in addition to subscription.
Punchinello, Vol. 1, No. 6, May 7, 1870 | VariousNearing the last of her pint bottles she reels sideways on the doorstep: her bad hat cants forward: she sprawls about.
I, Mary MacLane | Mary MacLaneAmid the modern cants, one of the most mistaken is the cant about the ‘mission of genius,’ the ‘mission of the poet.’
Sir Walter Raleigh and his Time | Charles KingsleySecret codes and conventional cants are resorted to by individuals who have some reason to conceal their meaning from others.
The Reform of Education | Giovanni GentileI 'low I can make that big pan in the middle afore the next sea cants it.
Harbor Tales Down North | Norman Duncan
British Dictionary definitions for cant (1 of 5)
/ (kænt) /
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
(intr) to speak in or use cant
Origin of cant
1Derived forms of cant
- canter, noun
- cantingly, adverb
British Dictionary definitions for cant (2 of 5)
/ (kænt) /
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 (def. 1)
oblique; slanting
having flat surfaces and without curves
Origin of cant
2Derived forms of cant
- cantic, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for cant (3 of 5)
/ (kɑːnt) /
Scot and Northern English dialect lusty; merry; hearty
Origin of cant
3British Dictionary definitions for can't (4 of 5)
/ (kɑːnt) /
cannot
British Dictionary definitions for Cant. (5 of 5)
Canterbury
Bible Canticles
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with cant
In addition to the idioms beginning with can't
- can't abide
- can't but
- can't complain
- can't do anything with
- can't fight City Hall
- can't help
- can't hit the broad side of a barn
- can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear
- can't make head or tail of
- can't punch one's way out of a paper bag
- can't see beyond the end of one's nose.
- can't seem to
- can't see the forest for the trees
- can't stand
- can't wait
also see:
- 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
Also see undercan.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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