cant

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Wikipedia

Contents 1 English 1.1 Pronunciation 1.2 Etymology 1 1.2.1 Noun 1.2.1.1 Synonyms 1.2.1.2 Related terms 1.2.1.3 Translations 1.2.2 Verb 1.3 Etymology 2 1.3.1 Noun 1.3.1.1 Related terms 1.3.1.2 Translations 1.3.2 Verb 1.3.2.1 Translations 1.4 Etymology 3 1.4.1 Verb 1.5 Etymology 4 1.5.1 Alternative spellings 1.5.2 Adjective 1.6 Anagrams 2 Catalan 2.1 Etymology 2.2 Noun 3 Welsh 3.1 Noun 3.1.1 Mutation 3.1.2 Related terms 3.2 References

[edit] English

[edit] Pronunciation

• enPR: kănt, IPA: /kænt/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}
• Rhymes: -ænt
• Homophones: can't (in US dialect)

[edit] Etymology 1

From Latin cantare (sing', probably via Old Northern French canter (“‘sing, tell’”), cognate with chant)

[edit] Noun

cant (plural cants)

1. An argot, the jargon of a particular class or subgroup.

   He had the look of a prince, but the cant of a fishmonger.

2. A private or secret language used by a religious sect, gang, or other group.
3. Shelta.
4. Empty, hypocritical talk.

   People claim to care about the poor of Africa, but it is largely cant.

   • 1749 — Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, Book IV ch iv

     He is too well grounded for all your philosophical cant to hurt.

5. Whining speech, such as that used by beggars.
6. (heraldry) A blazon of a coat of arms that makes a pun upon the name of the bearer.

[edit] Synonyms

• (private or secret language): argot, jargon, slang
• (musical singing): chant, singsong

[edit] Related terms

• descant

[edit] Translations

[edit] Verb

to cant (third-person singular simple present cants, present participle canting, simple past and past participle canted)

1. (intransitive) To speak with the jargon of a class or subgroup.
2. (intransitive) To speak in set phrases.
3. (intransitive) To preach in a singsong fashion, especially in a false or empty manner.
4. (intransitive, heraldry) Of a blazon, to make a pun that references the bearer of a coat of arms.

[edit] Etymology 2

Possibly from Irish "cain(n)t" meaning speech, talk, etc.

[edit] Noun

cant (plural cants)

1. (obsolete) corner, niche
2. slope, the angle at which something is set.
   • 1883, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, Part Five

     Owing to the cant of the vessel, the masts hung far out over the water, and from my perch on the cross-trees I had nothing below me but the surface of the bay.

3. A movement or throw that overturns something.

[edit] Related terms

• cantilever

[edit] Translations

[edit] Verb

to cant (third-person singular simple present cants, present participle canting, simple past and past participle canted)

1. (transitive) To set (something) at an angle.
2. (transitive) To bevel an edge or corner.
3. (transitive) To overturn so that the contents are emptied.

[edit] Translations

[edit] Etymology 3

[edit] Verb

to cant (third-person singular simple present cants, present participle canting, simple past and past participle canted)

1. (transitive) To divide or parcel out.

[edit] Etymology 4

From Middle English, presumably from Middle Low German *kant

[edit] Alternative spellings

• kant

[edit] Adjective

cant (not comparable)

1. (British, dialectal) lively, lusty.

[edit] Anagrams

• Alphagram: acnt
• NCTA

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[edit] Catalan

[edit] Etymology

From Latin cantus.

[edit] Noun

cant

1. Song

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[edit] Welsh

[edit] Noun

cant m. (plural cannoedd)

1. Hundred.
2. Century.

cant m. (plural cantau)

1. Hoop.
2. Rim.

[edit] Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
cant	gant	nghant	chant

[edit] Related terms

• hanner cant - fifty

[edit] References

• Definition from the BBC.