cant 1
— cantingly , adv.
/kant/ , n.
1. insincere, esp. conventional expressions of enthusiasm for high ideals, goodness, or piety.
2. the private language of the underworld.
3. the phraseology peculiar to a particular class, party, profession, etc.: the cant of the fashion industry.
4. whining or singsong speech, esp. of beggars.
v.i.
5. to talk hypocritically.
6. to speak in the whining or singsong tone of a beggar; beg.
[ 1495-1505; cant- in cantus song, canticus singsong, etc., whence OE cantere singer, cantic song; see CHANT ]
Syn. 1. hypocrisy, sham, pretense, humbug.
cant 2
— cantic , adj.
/kant/ , n.
1. a salient angle.
2. a sudden movement that tilts or overturns a thing.
3. a slanting or tilted position.
4. an oblique line or surface, as one formed by cutting off the corner of a square of cube.
5. an oblique or slanting face of anything.
6. Civ. Engin. bank 1 (def. 6).
7. a sudden pitch or toss.
8. Also called flitch . a partly trimmed log.
adj.
9. oblique or slanting.
v.t.
10. to bevel; form an oblique surface upon.
11. to put in an oblique position; tilt; tip.
12. to throw with a sudden jerk.
v.i.
13. to take or have an inclined position; tilt; turn.
[ 1325-75; ME: side, border cant, OF chant cantu ( m ) with the related senses "rim, border" and "angle corner," prob. cant ( h ) us iron tire ( cant periphery, rim, felloe; prob. not akin to Gk kanthós corner of the eye; cf. CANTEEN, CANTLE, CANTON ]
cant 3
/kahnt/ , adj. Scot. and North Eng.
hearty; merry.
[ 1250-1300; ME kant merry, bold ]