dumb cane

noun

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

Origin of dumb cane

First recorded in 1690–1700

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

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