chaunt
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To sing the contents of any paper in the streets. CANT, as applied to vulgar language, may have been derived from CHAUNT.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “chaunt” mean?
To sing the contents of any paper in the streets. CANT, as applied to vulgar language, may have been derived from CHAUNT.
Is “chaunt” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.