cane

1 of 2

noun

ˈkān 

1

a(1)

: a hollow or pithy, usually slender, and often flexible jointed stem (as of a reed or bamboo)

a fishing pole made of cane

(2)

: any of various slender woody stems

especially : an elongated flowering or fruiting stem (as of a rose) usually arising directly from the ground

b

: any of various tall woody grasses or reeds: such as

(1)

: any of a genus (Arundinaria) of bamboo

(2)

: sugarcane

(3)

: sorghum

c

: rattan sense 2b

especially : split rattan for wickerwork or basketwork

2

: a stick typically of wood or metal with a usually curved handle at one end that is grasped to provide stability in walking or standing

3

: a rod or stick used for flogging

4

: a tiny glass rod used in decorative glasswork (as in millefiori and paperweights)

cane

2 of 2

verb

caned; caning

transitive verb

1

: to beat with a cane

he sat in a professor's chair and caned sophomores for blowing spitballs

—H. L. Mencken

2

: to weave or furnish with cane

cane the seat of a chair

Synonyms

Noun

• bastinado
• bastinade
• bat
• baton
• billy
• billy club
• bludgeon
• club
• cudgel
• nightstick
• rod
• rung [Scottish]
• sap
• shillelagh
• shillalah
• staff
• truncheon
• waddy [Australian]

Examples of cane in a Sentence

Noun

In the past, some teachers would resort to the cane when students misbehaved.

The chair seat is made of cane.

Verb

In the past, some teachers would cane students who misbehaved.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Hard freezes, ice, and snow will damage or break canes, making plants more susceptible to pests and disease. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 18 Dec. 2024

The age this particular persona is supposed to represent remains ambiguous in the scene, but the Jackal uses a cane and maintains a sense of frailty in his body, both of which contribute to another visual iteration of geriatric Redmayne. —Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 28 Nov. 2024

Verb

Prune the second-year, woody canes off summer-bearing raspberries once a year after the plants fruit. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 July 2024

In the nearly 250 years since its founding, the United States has witnessed its fair share of political violence, from four presidential assassinations to an 1856 caning on the Senate floor to a 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol that left at least five dead. —Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Middle French, from Old Occitan cana, from Latin canna, from Greek kanna, of Semitic origin; akin to Akkadian qanū reed, Hebrew qāneh

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb

circa 1667, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing cane

• candy cane
• cane corso
• cane sugar
• cane toad
• dumb cane
• malacca cane
• sword cane
• the cane

Kids Definition

cane

1 of 2 noun

ˈkān 

1

a

: a jointed plant stem that is usually slender and more or less flexible

b

: any of various tall woody grasses or reeds

especially : sugarcane

2

a

: walking stick sense 1

b

: a rod for flogging

c

: rattan sense 2

cane

2 of 2 verb

caned; caning

1

: to beat with a cane

2

: to make with cane

cane the seat of a chair