candy cane

American  

[kan-dee keyn] / ˈkæn di ˌkeɪn /

noun

• candy canes
  plural

1. a stick of hard candy with a curve at one end, usually peppermint-flavored with red and white stripes.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• candy canes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of candy cane

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

candy cane

I’ll start here: I’m not sure what’s up with the red-striped home shirts—I know it’s supposed to resemble a waving U.S. flag, but all I see is a Christmas candy cane.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

When I got the assignment, I was immediately excited and had this image in my head of placing them inside a colorful candy cane circus.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2025

Special thanks to Santa for the candy cane and photo opportunity.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 31, 2023

A sprinkling of people tentatively used to approach its nondescript door under an arresting sign, “Color Beauty Supply,” shaped almost like a candy cane.

From New York Times ● Apr. 21, 2023

The twins had kept it in a box and fed it nothing but bits of candy cane for over a week.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez