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

And they kept trying to take away my cane.

From Slate • May 19, 2026

The minutes-long standstill forced several people into the street; many more, including my husband and his cane, engaged in a potentially perilous stutter-step around the two knee-high, randomly moving yet noncommunicative vehicles.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

Susan, who has multiple sclerosis, walks with a cane, but one wouldn’t be surprised to see her wielding it as a rapier.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

Several countries have enacted anti-cyberscam laws to combat the rise of online fraud, romance and cryptocurrency scams, with con artists in Singapore facing 24 strokes of the cane for serious cases.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Leaning on his cane, William would sport a bow tie and a natty black beret.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Related Words

• pole
• rod
• walking stick