cane
Americannoun
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a stick or short staff used to assist one in walking; walking stick.
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a long, hollow or pithy, jointed woody stem, as that of bamboo, rattan, sugarcane, and certain palms.
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a plant having such a stem.
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split rattan woven or interlaced for chair seats, wickerwork, etc.
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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.
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the stem of a raspberry or blackberry.
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a rod used for flogging.
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a slender cylinder or rod, as of sealing wax or glass.
verb (used with object)
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to flog with a cane.
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to furnish or make with cane.
to cane chairs.
noun
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the long jointed pithy or hollow flexible stem of the bamboo, rattan, or any similar plant
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any plant having such a stem
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strips of such stems, woven or interlaced to make wickerwork, the seats and backs of chairs, etc
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( as modifier )
a cane chair
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the woody stem of a reed, young grapevine, blackberry, raspberry, or loganberry
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any of several grasses with long stiff stems, esp Arundinaria gigantea of the southeastern US
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a flexible rod with which to administer a beating as a punishment, as to schoolboys
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a slender rod, usually wooden and often ornamental, used for support when walking; walking stick
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See sugar cane
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a slender rod or cylinder, as of glass
verb
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to whip or beat with or as if with a cane
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to make or repair with cane
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informal to defeat
we got well caned in the match
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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
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have canedperfect
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has canedperfect 3rd person singular
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has been caningperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been caningperfect progressive
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are caningprogressive
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am caningprogressive 1st person singular
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is caningprogressive 3rd person singular
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caningparticiple
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canessingular 3rd person
Past
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had canedperfect
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were caningprogressive plural
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was caningprogressive singular
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had been caningperfect progressive
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canedparticiple
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canedsimple
Future
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There was bracing Pep-O-Mint, cool Wint-O-Green, sharp Spear-O-Mint, clear Crysto Mint and festive Stik-O-Pep, speckled red and white like a candy cane.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
He often gets bitten by bedbugs and walks with a cane, making climbing up and down from his bed difficult.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
Huge front teeth bite down on the cane, and the creature chews.
From Slate • May 27, 2026
An elderly man holding a cane is also shown in the upper left area of the painting.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
We begin the slow, painful walk to the ships, him with his cane and me carrying a sack of his belongings.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
