Forms: 4–5 chaunte(n, 5–9 chaunt, 5 chawnt, 6– chant. [a. F. chante-r to sing:—L. cantāre, freq. of can-ĕre to sing. The frequentative force had disappeared already in Latin, and in Romanic cantare took the place entirely of L. canere.]
1. intr. To sing, warble. arch. or poet.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Miller’s T., 181. Herestow nat Absolon That chaunteth thus vnder oure boures wal.
1611. Bible, Amos vi. 5. That chaunt [Coverd. synge] to the sound of the Uiole.
1613. R. C., Table Alph. (ed. 3), Chaunt, sing.
1790. Cowper, Odyss., X. 281. And at her task So sweetly chaunts.
1847. Tennyson, Princess, II. 182. Sirens … such As chanted on the blanching bones of men.
fig. 1857. Ruskin, Pol. Econ. Art, 99. Bid … the sea-winds chaunt in the galleries.
b. of birds.
1549. Compl. Scot., 39. The grene serene sang sueit, quhen the gold spynk chantit.
1589. Greene, Menaphon (Arb.), 23. The birdes that chaunted on their braunches.
1797. Bewick, Brit. Birds (1847), I. 194. The only bird which chaunts on the wing.
1830. Tennyson, Poet’s Mind, 22. In the heart of the garden the merry bird chants.
c. transf. of other animals; spec. of hounds.
1573. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 42. Keepe hog I aduise thee from medow and corne,… if dog set him chaunting he doth thee no wrong.
1846. E. Jesse, Anecd. Dogs, 268. ‘Good hounds’ as an old writer observes ‘will come chanting and trail along by the river side.’
1882. Shorthouse, J. Inglesant (ed. 2), I. ii. 43. The hounds came trailing and chanting along by the river-side.
2. trans. To sing, utter musically. (Often with notion of ‘prolonged or drawling intonation,’ due to influence of sense 4.) Chiefly poetical.
1588. Shaks., Tit. A., II. iii. 12. The Birds chaunt melody on euery bush. Ibid. (1595), John, V. vii. 22. This pale faint Swan, Who chaunts a dolefull hymne to his owne death.
1704. Pope, Pastorals, Summ., 79. Your praise the birds shall chant in ev’ry grove.
1812. J. Wilson, Isle of Palms, IV. 791. When she chants her evening hymn.
1832. Ht. Martineau, Ireland, i. 1. The sea … whose hoarse music is chaunted day and night.
1842. Tennyson, Poet’s Song, 6. He … chanted a melody loud and sweet.
3. To sing of, celebrate in song. poet.
1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, I. (Arb.), 17. Manhod and garbroyls I chaunt, and martial horror.
1606. 2nd Pt. Returne fr. Parnass., V. iv. (Arb.), 70. Weel chant our woes vpon an oaten reede.
c. 1750. Shenstone, Elegy, xviii. 48. The soft shepherd … Chants his proud mistress to his hoarse guitar. Ibid., Wks. (1764), I. 49. Poets, not inglorious, chaunt their loves.
4. Music. To recite musically, intone; to sing to a chant, as the Psalms, etc., in public worship (see CHANT sb. 2). a. intr.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 71. Chawnten, discanto, organiso.
1796. Scott, Chase, xii. With pious fools go chant and pray.
1884. F. M. Crawford, Rom. Singer, i. 24. The priests and canons chant.
b. trans. (In first quot. ? to drawl out.)
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 158. Not skyppyng ony worde, not chauntyng nor brekyng your notes.
1570. Levins, Manip., 24. To chant, cantillare.
1706. A. Bedford, Temple Mus., iii. 68. The Jews … do not Read, but Chant out the Hebrew Text.
1835. Willis, Pencillings, I. xv. 114. A short service was then chaunted.
1879. Grove, Dict. Mus., I. 336/2. The ‘Common Tunes’ for chanting the English Psalter.
5. fig. To talk or repeat a statement monotonously; to harp upon (obs.). a. intr.
1572. R. H., trans. Lauaterus’ Ghostes (1596), 36. Men began to doubt … of those things which they chaunted vpon with open mouth.
1641. Milton, Ch. Govt., II. ii. (1851), 153. Let them chaunt while they will of prerogatives.
1863. Kinglake, Crimea (1877), II. xiv. 232. If in these days a man goes chanting and chanting in servile response to a newspaper.
b. trans.
1828. Carlyle, Misc. (1857), I. 132. Chaunting unabatedly her extreme deficiency in personal charms.
c. To chant the praises (or eulogy) of.
1820. W. Irving, Sketch Bk., I. 239. Some syren from Billingsgate, chaunting the eulogy of deceased mackerel.
1868. Seyd, Bullion, 580. Chaunting the praises of our financial institutions.
1885. Manch. Exam., 11 June, 4/7. To chant the praises of the Darwinian system.
6. slang. (trans.) To sell (a horse) fraudulently [app. ‘to cry up’].
1816. Sporting Mag., XLIX. 305. Frauds … in the disposal of horses … by a gang of … swindlers, who technically call it ‘chaunting horses.’
1859. Thackeray, Virgin., x. (D.). Jack Firebrace … was here this morning chanting horses with ’em. Ibid. (1861), Philip, xx. Horses … are groomed, are doctored, are chanted on to the market.
