rattan

American  

[ra-tan, ruh-] / ræˈtæn, rə- /

Sometimes ratan

noun

1. Also called rattan palm. any of various climbing palms of the genus Calamus or allied genera.

2. the tough stems of such palms, used for wickerwork, canes, etc.

3. a stick or switch of this material.

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rattan British  

/ ræˈtæn /

noun

1. any of the climbing palms of the genus Calamus and related genera, having tough stems used for wickerwork and canes

2. the stems of such plants collectively

3. a stick made from one of these stems

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Etymology

Origin of rattan

First recorded in 1600–10; by uncertain mediation from Malay rōtan, alleged to derive from rout “scrape off, trim” with -an nominalizing suffix

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rattan

Swedish giant Ikea even got involved, posting photos of its rattan furniture on Instagram in a nod to the film, with the caption “husband material”.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

When they handed the property over, it boasted emerald green walls, a rattan monkey chandelier, and banana-leaf wallpaper.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

But its humble origins—as an open-latticework structure made of rattan bars bound together with balls of hand-tied-twine knots—are evident, underscoring its manufacture and transformation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 22, 2025

Coming in hot at No. 2 in the worst lewks pageant is the neckpiece worn by Nicole Ari Parker’s Lisa Todd Wexley, a chain of rattan spheres resembling a child’s art project.

From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2025

She always kept her rattan shades closed, but since she’d left, her mom or somebody had pulled them up, so I could see a little snippet of blue wall and white ceiling.

From "Paper Towns" by John Green

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