dumb cane

noun

a West Indian foliage plant, Dieffenbachia seguine, of the arum family, having yellow-blotched leaves that cause temporary speechlessness when chewed.

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Also called dumb plant, mother-in-law plant.

Origin of dumb cane

First recorded in 1690–1700

Words nearby dumb cane

dumb barter, dumbbell, Dumbbell nebula, dumb bid, dumb bunny, dumb cane, dumb cluck, dumb Dora, dumb down, dumbfound, dumbhead
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for dumb cane

dumb-cane

noun

a West Indian aroid plant, Dieffenbachia seguine, chewing the stem of which induces speechlessness by paralysing the throat muscles
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012