1
: the expression or repetition of conventional or trite opinions or sentiments
especially
: the insincere use of pious words
the cant of hypocrites
2
: a set or stock phrase
3
a
: the private language of the underworld
the cant of thieves
b
c
obsolete
: the phraseology peculiar to a religious class or sect
4
: affected singsong or whining speech
a beggar's cant
canted; canting; cants
1
: to talk hypocritically
canted about brotherly love
2
: to speak in cant or jargon
The thieves were canting among themselves.
3
: to talk or beg in a whining or singsong manner
bade me cant and whine in another place—
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson
canted; canting; cants
1
a
: an oblique or slanting surface
the cant of a riverbank
b
: inclination, slope
the cant of a gun barrel
2
: an external angle (as of a building)
3
: a log with one or more squared sides
1
: having canted corners or sides
a cant molding
2
: inclined sense 2
a cant buttress
Examples of cant in a Sentence
Noun (1)
many accused the evangelist of cant, since his lavish lifestyle seemed to bear little resemblance to what he was preaching
the colorful cant used by movie producers and publicity agents in Hollywood
Verb (2)
carefully canted the ladder against the wall
Noun (2)
a steep cant of the riverbank at that turn in the river
Adjective (1)
the cant buttresses on the interior walls are made of solid oak
Recent Examples on the Web
Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 26 June 2025
Sharply angled surfaces, called chines, run from the nose to the air intakes on either side of the lower fuselage; chines then run further back from those intakes to the wings and to twin tail fins, which are slightly canted from the vertical.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Jan. 2020
There's hundreds of cant-miss deals on travel accessories this Prime Day, from supportive neck pillows and lightweight steamers to portable chargers and noise-canceling headphones.
—Meaghan Kenny, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2024
Instead, think of a vector positioned in the x-y plane and canted at 45 degrees to the x-axis.
—IEEE Spectrum, 15 Nov. 2018
The cockpit is canted towards the driver and the warm glow of the ambient lights bathe the cabin in red.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
While Cahan’s novella canted toward Jake’s perspective, Rothstein’s play is an unabashedly feminist-forward retelling.
—Rhoda Feng, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
The top deck solar array is canted up 30 degrees to catch the low Sun angle near the south pole of the Moon.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 3 Oct. 2023
The boot excels when bombing groomers and making quick turns in the trees thanks to a canting system built from racing experience that minimizes interaction between the cuff and shell.
—Douglas Schnitzspahn, Travel + Leisure, 21 Dec. 2023
Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 14 Oct. 2024
The Eras Tour is one of those cant-miss concerts that everyone will be talking about for years (and decades) to come, so don’t miss out on this incredible show.
—Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 14 Oct. 2024
The Eras Tour is one of those cant-miss concerts that everyone will be talking about for years (and decades) to come, so don’t miss out on this incredible show.
—Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 14 Oct. 2024
The Eras Tour is one of those cant-miss concerts that everyone will be talking about for years (and decades) to come, so don’t miss out on this incredible show.
—Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 14 Oct. 2024
If thieves’ cant—a language known only to criminals—was the Devil’s cabinet, bourgeois society couldn’t help but peep inside.
—JSTOR Daily, 27 June 2024
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Verdier’s innovative design will use a canting keel as the support for one of the foils, with the other two contact points being a foil on the rudder and the two lateral foils.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 26 June 2025
Sharply angled surfaces, called chines, run from the nose to the air intakes on either side of the lower fuselage; chines then run further back from those intakes to the wings and to twin tail fins, which are slightly canted from the vertical.
—IEEE Spectrum, 2 Jan. 2020
There's hundreds of cant-miss deals on travel accessories this Prime Day, from supportive neck pillows and lightweight steamers to portable chargers and noise-canceling headphones.
—Meaghan Kenny, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Oct. 2024
Instead, think of a vector positioned in the x-y plane and canted at 45 degrees to the x-axis.
—IEEE Spectrum, 15 Nov. 2018
The cockpit is canted towards the driver and the warm glow of the ambient lights bathe the cabin in red.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
While Cahan’s novella canted toward Jake’s perspective, Rothstein’s play is an unabashedly feminist-forward retelling.
—Rhoda Feng, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
The top deck solar array is canted up 30 degrees to catch the low Sun angle near the south pole of the Moon.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 3 Oct. 2023
The boot excels when bombing groomers and making quick turns in the trees thanks to a canting system built from racing experience that minimizes interaction between the cuff and shell.
—Douglas Schnitzspahn, Travel + Leisure, 21 Dec. 2023
Noun
The Eras Tour is one of those cant-miss concerts that everyone will be talking about for years (and decades) to come, so don’t miss out on this incredible show.
—Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 14 Oct. 2024
The Eras Tour is one of those cant-miss concerts that everyone will be talking about for years (and decades) to come, so don’t miss out on this incredible show.
—Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 14 Oct. 2024
The Eras Tour is one of those cant-miss concerts that everyone will be talking about for years (and decades) to come, so don’t miss out on this incredible show.
—Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 14 Oct. 2024
The Eras Tour is one of those cant-miss concerts that everyone will be talking about for years (and decades) to come, so don’t miss out on this incredible show.
—Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 14 Oct. 2024
If thieves’ cant—a language known only to criminals—was the Devil’s cabinet, bourgeois society couldn’t help but peep inside.
—JSTOR Daily, 27 June 2024
Cite this Entry
“Cant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cant. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cant
1 of 3 noun1
: a slanting surface
cant
2 of 3 verb
: to give a slant to
cant
3 of 3 noun1
a
: argot
b
2
: insincere speech
Etymology
Noun
Middle English cant "corner," from early Dutch cant or early French cant, both meaning "edge, corner," from Latin canthus, cantus "iron rim on a wheel," perhaps of Celtic origin
Noun
probably derived from an early French dialect word canter "to tell," from Latin cantare "to sing," from canere "to sing" — related to cantata, chant, chantey
Medical Definition
cant
noun
: an oblique or slanting surface
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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