GNU Collaborative International Dictionary of English

Found 7 definitions

      
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 tilt.  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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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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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 spoken by gypsies, thieves, tramps, or beggars.

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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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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 meseræum 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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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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Cant, v. t. to sell by auction, or bid a price at a sale by auction. [Archaic]  Swift.

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