mass noun
1
- hypocritical and sanctimonious talk, typically of a moral, religious, or political nature（尤指道德、宗教或政治方面的）伪善言辞; 道貌岸然的话：
he had no time for the cant of the priests about sin.
他没时间去听那些牧师们有关罪愆的伪善言辞。
2
- as modifier denoting a phrase or catchword temporarily current or in fashion流行语：
'herstories' rather than 'histories' as the cant phrase goes.
作为流行语的“她者历史”而非“他者历史”。
2.1
- language peculiar to a specified group or profession and regarded with disparagement黑话, 切口：
thieves' cant.
盗贼的黑话。
no obj.
- dated talk hypocritically and sanctimoniously about something〈旧〉发表伪善的言论; 说道貌岸然的话：
if they'd stop canting about 'honest work' they might get somewhere.
如果他们不再说“诚实工作”这类的虚伪话, 他们会有所进益。
词源
early 16th cent.: probably from Latin cantare 'to sing' （see CHANT）. The early meaning was 'musical sound， singing'; in the mid 17th cent. 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).
with obj.
1- cause (something) to be in a slanting or oblique position; tilt使（某物）倾斜, 使翘起：
he canted his head to look at the screen.
他翘着头看着屏幕。
1.1
- no obj. take or have a slanting position倾斜, 翘起：
mismatched slate roofs canted at all angles.
错配的石板屋顶四处起翘。
1.2
- no obj.(of a ship) swing round（船）改变方向：
the ship canted to starboard.
船向右改变了航向。
1
- in sing. a slope or tilt斜面; 倾斜：
the outward cant of the curving walls.
外斜的曲墙。
2
- a wedge-shaped block of wood, especially one remaining after the better-quality pieces have been cut off（尤指较好部分砍掉后的）楔形木材。
词源
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'.