cant2

 
Pronunciation: /kant/

verb

  • have or cause to have a slanting or oblique position; tilt: [with object]: he canted his head to look at the screen [no object]: mismatched slate roofs canted at all angles
  • [no object] (of a ship) swing round: the ship canted to starboard

noun

  • 1 [in singular] a slope or tilt: the outward cant of the curving walls
  • 2a wedge-shaped block of wood, especially one remaining after the better-quality pieces have been cut off: a squared-off cant remains, containing the knottiest wood

Origin:

Middle English (denoting an edge or brink): from Middle Low German kant, kante, Middle Dutch cant 'point, side, edge', based on a Romance word related to medieval Latin cantus 'corner, side'