Showing results for dumb cane. Search instead for dumbcanes.

Jump To:

dumb cane

dumb cane

noun

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

dumb-cane

noun

a West Indian aroid plant, Dieffenbachia seguine , chewing the stem of which induces speechlessness by paralysing the throat muscles

dumb cane

American

noun

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

dumb-cane British

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

Etymology

Origin of dumb cane

First recorded in 1690–1700

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:

dumb cane

So, it fell to me to tell her the plant earned its common name, dumb cane, from the archaic term for mute.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 2, 2023

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023