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.
He writes with clarity and a welcome lack of cant, and he has an eye for the telling detail.
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
"I still cant really put it down to anything specific," she tells BBC Sport.
From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2025
“Even when your coaches tell you can take a nap — ‘Close your eyes; we’ll be on top of things’ — for me, it’s like, ‘No, I cant fully switch off.’
From Seattle Times ● May 31, 2024
But outdoors jobs we can master & if we cant, show him or me how its done & in just a couple of days we can master a job or machine.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
The companies can’t combine yet, meaning promised cost savings and strategic moves are on hold while rivals push ahead.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Scott: We can't defend and we can't score.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
“We can’t win all the time,” Walter told me this spring.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
This one, for reasons I can’t say I fully understand, skipped all that and went into effect immediately—as of today.
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
We can’t help but laugh at the sincerity in her voice.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
It is to this experience that Cant. ii.
From Christian Mysticism by Inge, William Ralph
Yet to his last day was Solomon afraid of the prince of devils, and had his bed guarded by the valiant men of Israel, as is written in Cant. iii.
From Curiosities of Literature, Vol. 1 by Disraeli, Isaac
The spouse took this course, when she could not get a sight of him whom her soul loved, Cant. vi.
From Christ: The Way, the Truth, and the Life by Brown, John (of Wamphray)
Hence the spouse in the Canticles is said to be but one, and the only one of her mother; Cant. vi.
From An Exhortation to Peace and Unity by Bunyan, John
Married John Pimm, of St. Dunstan’s, Cant., to Rejoice Epps, of the precincts of this church.”—Cant.
From Curiosities of Puritan Nomenclature by Bardsley, Charles W.
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.
