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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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canesimple
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canessimple
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have canedperfect
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has canedperfect
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am caningprogressive
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are caningprogressive
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is caningprogressive
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have been caningperfect progressive
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has been caningperfect progressive
Past
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canedsimple
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had canedperfect
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was caningprogressive
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were caningprogressive
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had been caningperfect progressive
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.
See Examples For:
Rob Moulds, 57, from Birmingham, is visually impaired and uses a cane when walking.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
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
He moved pretty fast for a haint, although he favored one leg and used the cane.
From Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm
Elderly and propping himself up with canes, he said this conflict was of a different magnitude.
From Barron's ● Mar. 18, 2026
Once able-bodied men, they walk with canes, one step at a time.
From Slate ● Dec. 26, 2025
Those costs will rise as France ages into dentures and canes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 8, 2025
Some had canes or family members to guide them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 6, 2025
The bridge was full of people: the elderly and sick, men and women in rags, leaning on canes.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
Italy was caned by New Zealand 96-17 last week in Lyon but the Azzurri are usually thrashed by the All Blacks.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 5, 2023
Before drafting his design, Mr. Jouin visited the Richelieu and saw a mix of seating in various rooms, including rows of high-backed caned chairs.
From New York Times ● Sep. 1, 2022
I ended up selling our beloved caned bentwood chairs because they just weren't comfortable to sit in for a long time.
From Salon ● Aug. 3, 2022
In 1835, a deranged house painter tried to shoot two pistols at President Andrew Jackson outside the building; the guns misfired, and Jackson caned his assailant into submission.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 6, 2021
Teddy told him all in a despairing tone, adding,— 'I can't meet mother—I've been caned, and—and I've disgraced my button!'
From Teddy's Button by Le Feuvre, Amy
Brooks decided to resign as a matter of honor, although he asserted that the House had no right to punish him since the caning had been a personal matter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
"Everyone was caning me yesterday saying he's better than me so I had to do something today."
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2025
“Miracle on 34th Street” probably was the first movie to give the commercialism of the holidays a stiff caning as we watch mega-department stores Gimbel’s and Macy’s try to outdo each other in Christmas sales.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 9, 2022
If Sietsema gave a brutal caning to a new spot you’d probably look askance if you found out that he owned a place across the street.
From Fox News ● Dec. 31, 2018
The next one had on it: Why has south eastern Alaska so many caning factories?
From "The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger
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.
