noun
Kent
kehnt
noun
1
A long pole used to push a boat along, especially in shallow water.
"He stood at the stern, working the kent to steer the punt around the bend."
verb
1
To propel a boat by pushing on a pole against the riverbed.
"They kented the barge upstream past the weir."
name
1
A county in southeast England, on the coast facing France.
"They spent the bank holiday driving around the orchards of Kent."
How to Use Kent
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMostly known as an English county name; as a common noun it means a punting pole, and as a verb it means to punt or push a boat along with one.
Common pairings
kent a punt
the county of Kent
Word Forms
kented past tense, kents plural, kents singular
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He stood at the stern, working the _____ to steer the punt around the bend.
Etymology
From Old English Cent, going back through Latin Cantium to an old Celtic word thought to mean "corner" or "rim" — describing the county's coastal, edge-of-the-land position.