different between cannot vs cants

English

Alternative forms

• cannet, cannit (Tyneside)

Etymology

can +? not

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?kæn?t/, /kæ?n?t/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?kæ(n.)n?t/, /?k?(n.)n?t/, /k?(n)?n?t/, /k?(n)?n?t/
• (Canada) IPA^(key): /k??n?t/
• Hyphenation: can?not
• Rhymes: -?t

Verb

cannot

1. Can not (be unable to).

2. Be forbidden or not permitted to
   • 1668 December 19, James Dalrymple, “Mr. Alexander Seaton contra Menzies” in The Deci?ions of the Lords of Council & Se??ion I (Edinburgh, 1683), page 575

     The Pupil after his Pupillarity, had granted a Di?charge to one of the Co-tutors, which did extingui?h the whole Debt of that Co-tutor, and con?equently of all the re?t, they being all correi debendi, lyable by one individual Obligation, which cannot be Di?charged as to one, and ?tand as to all the re?t.

Usage notes

Both the one-word form cannot and the two-word form can not are acceptable, but cannot is more common (in the Oxford English Corpus, three times as common). Authors more commonly opt for the two-word form in constructions where not is part of a set phrase, such as 'not only... but (also)': Paul can not only sing well, but also paint brilliantly.

Synonyms

• can't

Translations

Noun

cannot (plural cannots)

1. Something that cannot be done.

2. A person who cannot do (something).

Anagrams

• Canton, Conant, Nacton, canton, noncat

Norman

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

cannot m (plural cannots)

1. (Jersey) duckling

Derived terms

• cannoter (“to walk like a duck”)

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -??ns

Noun

cants

1. plural of cant

Verb

cants

1. Third-person singular simple present indicative form of cant

Anagrams

• can'st, canst, casn't, scant

Catalan

Noun

cants

1. plural of cant