cain't

Meanings

1. 1
   contraction

   nonstandard, especially Southern US: cannot or can't

   He cain't find work in this town.

2. 2
   verb

   Northern English dialect pronunciation spelling of count

   He can caint his money before supper.

A pronunciation spelling. In Southern US speech it represents can't with a raised or diphthongal vowel; in some Northern English literary dialect it separately represents count. The shared spelling therefore covers two unrelated spoken forms.

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