† out-cantv.
Obsolete.
transitive. To outdo in the use of cant or jargon; to outdo in affectedly pious speech.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > intelligibility > absence of meaning > nonsense, rubbish > insincere or pretentious talk > outdo in cant [verb (transitive)]
out-cant1658
1658 F. Osborne Advice to Son (1673) 182 I have heard him..at another time out-Cant a London Chirurgion.
1670 W. Clarke Nat. Hist. Nitre 91 If you would with my Lord Bacon out-cant these or other Artists in their own Terms.
1714 E. Ward Hudibras Redivivus (ed. 3) II. v. 6 Concluding with a zealous Speaker, That out-cants Francis.
1773 Ann. Reg. 1772 7 A prince..who has..out-canted the most zealous enthusiasts in his appeals to heaven.
1836 H. Smith Tin Trumpet at Cant This worthy has been outcanted by his countryman, Irving.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2004; most recently modified version published online September 2018).
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