CANT

CANT is a remarkably versatile word with distinct meanings across different contexts. In its most common usage, "cant" refers to hypocritical and sanctimonious talk, particularly religious or moral platitudes expressed insincerely. This meaning captures the essence of empty rhetoric—words that sound meaningful but lack genuine conviction or substance.

The word also denotes specialized language or jargon used by particular groups. Thieves' cant, for instance, was a secret language used by criminals in medieval England. Today, we might refer to professional jargon as "cant"—the specialized vocabulary that excludes outsiders. This usage highlights how language can both unite insiders and alienate those outside the group.

In its physical sense, "cant" means a slope, tilt, or oblique surface. Architects speak of walls built at a cant, shipbuilders describe a vessel's cant, and engineers calculate the cant of railway tracks on curves. As a verb, "to cant" means to tilt or tip something at an angle. This technical usage appears frequently in construction, engineering, and design contexts.

For Scrabble players, CANT represents an ideal balance of playability and scoring potential. With C worth 3 points and the remaining letters worth 1 point each, it totals 6 base points. The word's true value lies in its flexibility: it easily extends to CANTS, CANTED, CANTING, CANTLE, CANTUS, and combines with prefixes like DECANT and RECANT. Its common letters make it easy to play while the less frequent C adds scoring value.

The negative form CAN'T (cannot) is spelled identically without the apostrophe, though this contraction is typically not valid in formal word games. This coincidence often causes confusion but also makes CANT memorable—it's simultaneously "cannot" compressed and a word meaning "insincere speech" or "tilt."