Cants


insincere, especially conventional expressions of enthusiasm for high ideals, goodness, or piety.
the private language of the underworld.
the phraseology peculiar to a particular class, party, profession, etc.:
the cant of the fashion industry.
whining or singsong speech, especially of beggars.
to talk hypocritically.
to speak in the whining or singsong tone of a beggar; beg.
a salient angle.
a sudden movement that tilts or overturns a thing.
a slanting or tilted position.
an oblique line or surface, as one formed by cutting off the corner of a square of cube.
an oblique or slanting face of anything.
Civil Engineering, bank1 (def 6).
a sudden pitch or toss.
Also called flitch. a partly trimmed log.
oblique or slanting.
to bevel; form an oblique surface upon.
to put in an oblique position; tilt; tip.
to throw with a sudden jerk.
to take or have an inclined position; tilt; turn.
Historical Examples

Merchantmen-at-Arms David W. Bone
Punchinello, Vol. 1, No. 6, May 7, 1870 Various
Modern Machine-Shop Practice, Volumes I and II Joshua Rose
Plum Pudding Christopher Morley
The Nuttall Encyclopaedia Edited by Rev. James Wood
Modern Machine-Shop Practice, Volumes I and II Joshua Rose
The Depot Master Joseph C. Lincoln

noun
insincere talk, esp concerning religion or morals; pious platitudes
stock phrases that have become meaningless through repetition
specialized vocabulary of a particular group, such as thieves, journalists, or lawyers; jargon
singsong whining speech, as used by beggars
verb
(intransitive) to speak in or use cant
noun
inclination from a vertical or horizontal plane; slope; slant
a sudden movement that tilts or turns something
the angle or tilt thus caused
a corner or outer angle, esp of a building
an oblique or slanting surface, edge, or line
verb (transitive)
to tip, tilt, or overturn, esp with a sudden jerk
to set in an oblique position
another word for bevel (sense 1)
adjective
oblique; slanting
having flat surfaces and without curves
adjective
(Scot & Northern English, dialect) lusty; merry; hearty
n.

… Slang is universal, whilst Cant is restricted in usage to certain classes of the community: thieves, vagrom men, and — well, their associates. … Slang boasts a quasi-respectability denied to Cant, though Cant is frequently more enduring, its use continuing without variation of meaning for many generations. [John S. Farmer, Forewords to “Musa Pedestris,” 1896]

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