cane

American  

[keyn] / keɪn /

noun

1. a stick or short staff used to assist one in walking; walking stick.

2. a long, hollow or pithy, jointed woody stem, as that of bamboo, rattan, sugarcane, and certain palms.

3. a plant having such a stem.

4. split rattan woven or interlaced for chair seats, wickerwork, etc.

5. any of several tall bamboolike grasses, especially of the genus Arundinaria, as A. gigantea cane reed, large cane, giant cane, or southern cane and A. tecta small cane, or switch cane, of the southern United States.

6. the stem of a raspberry or blackberry.

7. sugarcane.

8. a rod used for flogging.

9. a slender cylinder or rod, as of sealing wax or glass.

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verb (used with object)

caned, caning

1. to flog with a cane.

2. to furnish or make with cane.

   to cane chairs.

cane ¹ British  

/ keɪn /

noun

1. 1. the long jointed pithy or hollow flexible stem of the bamboo, rattan, or any similar plant

   2. any plant having such a stem

2. 1. strips of such stems, woven or interlaced to make wickerwork, the seats and backs of chairs, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a cane chair

3. the woody stem of a reed, young grapevine, blackberry, raspberry, or loganberry

4. any of several grasses with long stiff stems, esp Arundinaria gigantea of the southeastern US

5. a flexible rod with which to administer a beating as a punishment, as to schoolboys

6. a slender rod, usually wooden and often ornamental, used for support when walking; walking stick

7. See sugar cane

8. a slender rod or cylinder, as of glass

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verb

1. to whip or beat with or as if with a cane

2. to make or repair with cane

3. informal to defeat

   we got well caned in the match

4. slang to do something with great power, force, or speed or consume something such as alcohol in large quantities

   you can do it in ten minutes if you really cane it

cane ² British  

/ keɪn /

noun

1. dialect a female weasel

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Other Word Forms

• canelike
  adjective
• caner
  noun
• cany
  adjective
• recane
  verb (used with object)
• uncaned
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of cane

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin canna, from Greek kánna, from Semitic; compare Akkadian qanū, Hebrew qāneh “reed”

Example Sentences

But guarding the cemetery were three Cane Corso dogs — RoRo, Ghost and Zeus.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

Ms. Bishop owns dogs—including a Cane Corso named Ghost—that patrol her cemetery.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026

Defence barrister Joshua Gorst said the dog had never attacked anyone before the "unpleasant incident", and Wegner believed it to be a "Cane Corso" not an XL bully.

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2025

He also visited Cane, a Trinidadian spot on H Street that earned its highest rating of 7.9; along with Smize & Dream, Tyra Banks’ D.C.-based pop-up shop.

From Salon • Sep. 9, 2024

On a sad note, the Widow Cane passed away in her home on July 1.

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool

Related Words

• pole
• rod
• walking stick