a quaint affected manner of speaking, adapted chiefly to the lower orders. Skinner racks his invention for the origin of this word, which he successively deduces from the German, Flemish, and Saxon tongues. According to the general opinion, Cant was originally the proper name of a Cameronian preacher in Scotland, who by exercise had attained the faculty of talking in the pulpit in such a tone and dialect as was understood by none but his own congregation. Since Andrew Cant's time the word has been extended to signify all sudden exclamations, and whining unmusical tones, especially in praying and preaching. But this origin of the word has been disputed by some; and perhaps the true derivation is from the Latin cantare, to sing, in which sense cant would be synonymous with sing-song.

CANT is also applied to words and phrases affected by particular persons or professions for low ends, and not authorized by the established language. The difference between cant and technical seems to be this: the former is restricted to words introduced out of folly, affection, or imposture; the latter is applied to such as are introduced for the sake of clearness, precision, and signification.

CANT is also used to denote a sale by auction. The origin of the word in this sense is doubtful. It may be derived, according to some, from quantum, how much; according to others, from cantare, to sing or cry aloud; agreeably to which, the Americans sometimes call an auction an outcry.