Bryson’s dictionary for writers and editors. 2013.
Cant Jargon — , CANTING GREW Some people believe that the word cant is eponymous for Andrew Cant (1590 1663), a Presbyterian minister in Aberdeen, Scotland. The Reverend s speech was hard to understand because of the dialect he used, The Spectator… … Dictionary of eponyms
cant — cant1 [kant] n. [< L cantus: see CHANT] 1. whining, singsong speech, esp. as used by beggars 2. the secret slang of beggars, thieves, etc.; argot 3. the special words and phrases used by those in a certain sect, occupation, etc.; jargon 4.… … English World dictionary
jargon — 1. history of the term. The OED gives several meanings for jargon, all except one mostly derogatory in connotation. The prevailing current senses of the word are (1) ‘words or expressions used by a particular group or profession’, and (2)… … Modern English usage
Cant — Cant, n. [Prob. from OF. cant, F. chant, singing, in allusion to the singing or whining tine of voice used by beggars, fr. L. cantus. See {Chant}.] 1. An affected, singsong mode of speaking. [1913 Webster] 2. The idioms and peculiarities of… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Jargon — Jar gon, n. [F. jargon, OF. also gargon, perh. akin to E. garrulous, or gargle.] 1. Confused, unintelligible language; gibberish. A barbarous jargon. Macaulay. All jargon of the schools. Prior. [1913 Webster] 2. Hence: an artificial idiom or… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Cant — Cant, v. i. 1. To speak in a whining voice, or an affected, singsong tone. [1913 Webster] 2. To make whining pretensions to goodness; to talk with an affectation of religion, philanthropy, etc.; to practice hypocrisy; as, a canting fanatic. [1913 … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
cant — [n1] hypocritical statement affected piety, deceit, dishonesty, humbug, hypocrisy, hypocriticalness, insincerity, lip service*, pecksniffery, pharisaicalness, pious platitudes, pomposity, pretense, pretentiousness, sanctimoniousness, sanctimony,… … New thesaurus
cant — now usually means ‘insincere pious or moral talk’: • shameful surrender to the prevalent cant and humbug of the age Daily Telegraph, 1992. Its older (18c–19c) and often derogatory meaning, ‘the secret language or jargon used by certain classes or … Modern English usage
jargon — I (technical language) noun argot, cant, code, coined words, language of a particular profession, legalese, neologism, neology, private language, professional language, professional vocabulary, specialized language, specialized terminology,… … Law dictionary
Cant — (engl.), Rotwelsch, Jargon; dann soviel wie scheinheiliges Wesen, Heuchelei. Vgl. Baumann, Londinismen. Slang und C. (Berl. 1887) … Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon
