Meaning & use

cant

noun·Advanced

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Insincere or hypocritical talk, especially moralizing language; also, the specialized jargon of a particular group.

See it in a sentence

The politician's speech was dismissed as empty cant by critics.

Thieves' cant made their conversations unintelligible to outsiders.

A note on using this word

Unrelated to the contraction 'can't'; as a verb, 'cant' also means to tilt or lean at an angle, as in 'cant the mirror slightly.'

Words with a similar meaning

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Another way to use it

2. verb

To tilt or lean at an angle.

He canted the ladder against the wall before climbing.

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