cane

[keyn]

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.

verb (used with object)

caned, caning 

1. to flog with a cane.

2. to furnish or make with cane.

   to cane chairs.

cane

¹

/ 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

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

/ keɪn /

noun

1. dialect,  a female weasel

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of cane¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of cane¹

C14: from Old French, from Latin canna, from Greek kanna, of Semitic origin; related to Arabic qanāh reed

Origin of cane²

C18: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

It’s made with finely chopped cranberries and California Valencia oranges that are both sweetened with cane sugar.

Read more on Salon

None of this prevents “Champagne Problems” from being as sticky as a half-finished candy cane.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

On reaching the outskirts of the capital, Patna, the team found a ramshackle setup of a dozen metal drums - part of a makeshift apparatus fermenting jaggery, a type of cane sugar, into country liquor.

Read more on BBC

The non-fisherwoman is also brandishing a crooked staff, curved at the top like a wooden candy cane.

Read more on Literature

Admiral Faucet held out his cane, ready to strike.

Read more on Literature

Related Words

• pole 
• rod 
• walking stick