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cant1

Pronunciation: /kant/

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Definition of cant

noun

[mass noun]

1hypocritical and sanctimonious talk, typically of a moral, religious, or political nature:he had no time for the cant of the priests about sin

2language specific to a particular group or profession and regarded with disparagement:thieves' cant
[as modifier] denoting a phrase or catchword temporarily current or in fashion:‘herstories’ rather than ‘histories’ as the cant phrase goes

verb

[no object] dated

talk hypocritically and sanctimoniously about something:if they’d stop canting about ‘honest work’ they might get somewhere

Origin:

early 16th century: probably from Latin cantare 'to sing' (see chant). The early meaning was 'musical sound, singing'; in the mid 17th century this gave rise to the senses 'whining manner of speaking' and 'form of words repeated mechanically in such a manner' (for example a beggar's plea), hence 'jargon' (of beggars and other such groups)

cant in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of cant in the US English dictionary

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