From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Cant \Cant\, a.
Of the nature of cant; affected; vulgar.
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To introduce and multiply cant words in the most
ruinous corruption in any language. --Swift.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Cant \Cant\, v. i.
1. To speak in a whining voice, or an affected, singsong
tone.
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2. To make whining pretensions to goodness; to talk with an
affectation of religion, philanthropy, etc.; to practice
hypocrisy; as, a canting fanatic.
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The rankest rogue that ever canted. --Beau. & Fl.
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3. To use pretentious language, barbarous jargon, or
technical terms; to talk with an affectation of learning.
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The doctor here,
When he discourseth of dissection,
Of vena cava and of vena porta,
The meser[ae]um and the mesentericum,
What does he else but cant. --B. Jonson
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That uncouth affected garb of speech, or canting
language, if I may so call it. --Bp.
Sanderson.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Cant \Cant\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Canted; p. pr. & vb. n.
Canting.]
1. To incline; to set at an angle; to tilt over; to tip upon
the edge; as, to cant a cask; to cant a ship.
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2. To give a sudden turn or new direction to; as, to cant
round a stick of timber; to cant a football.
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3. To cut off an angle from, as from a square piece of
timber, or from the head of a bolt.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Cant \Cant\, n. [OF., edge, angle, prof. from L. canthus the
iron ring round a carriage wheel, a wheel, Gr. ? the corner
of the eye, the felly of a wheel; cf. W. cant the stake or
tire of a wheel. Cf. Canthus, Canton, Cantle.]
1. A corner; angle; niche. [Obs.]
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The first and principal person in the temple was
Irene, or Peace; she was placed aloft in a cant.
--B. Jonson.
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2. An outer or external angle.
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3. An inclination from a horizontal or vertical line; a slope
or bevel; a titl. --Totten.
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4. 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.
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5. (Coopering) A segment forming a side piece in the head of
a cask. --Knight.
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6. (Mech.) A segment of he rim of a wooden cogwheel.
--Knight.
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7. (Naut.) A piece of wood laid upon the deck of a vessel to
support the bulkheads.
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Cant frames, Cant timbers (Naut.), timber at the two ends
of a ship, rising obliquely from the keel.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Cant \Cant\, n. [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.]
1. An affected, singsong mode of speaking.
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2. The idioms and peculiarities of speech in any sect, class,
or occupation. --Goldsmith.
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The cant of any profession. --Dryden.
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3. The use of religious phraseology without understanding or
sincerity; empty, solemn speech, implying what is not
felt; hypocrisy.
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They shall hear no cant from me. --F. W.
Robertson
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4. Vulgar jargon; slang; the secret language spoker by
gipsies, thieves, tramps, or beggars.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Cant \Cant\, n. [Prob. from OF. cant, equiv. to L. quantum; cf.
F. encan, fr. L. in quantum, i.e. "for how much?"]
A call for bidders at a public sale; an auction. "To sell
their leases by cant." --Swift.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Cant \Cant\, v. t.
to sell by auction, or bid a price at a sale by auction.
[Archaic] --Swift.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Can't \Can't\
A colloquial contraction for can not.
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