cane
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /keɪn/
rhymes: -eɪn
homophone: Cain
Forms: form: canes
Etymology: From Middle English cane, canne, from Old French cane (“sugar cane”), from Latin canna (“reed”), from Ancient Greek κάννα (kánna), from Akkadian 𒄀 (qanû, “reed”), from Sumerian 𒄀𒈾 (gi.na). Doublet of canna and kaneh. Related to channel and canal.
Senses: glosses: A plant with simple stems, like bamboo or sugar cane, or the stem thereof
The slender, flexible main stem of a plant such as bamboo, including many species in the grass family Gramineae
synonyms: word: stem
word: stalk
word: trunk
english: of a tree
translation: of a tree
glosses: A plant with simple stems, like bamboo or sugar cane, or the stem thereof
The plant itself, including many species in the grass family Gramineae; a reed
synonyms: reed
examples: text: Still, a dozen men with rifles, and cartridges to match, stayed behind when they filed through a white aldea lying silent amid the cane, and the Sin Verguenza swung into slightly quicker stride.
ref: 1907 January, Harold Bindloss, chapter 7, in The Dust of Conflict, 1st Canadian edition, Toronto, Ont.: McLeod & Allen, →OCLC:
glosses: A plant with simple stems, like bamboo or sugar cane, or the stem thereof
Sugar cane
synonyms: molasses cane
glosses: A plant with simple stems, like bamboo or sugar cane, or the stem thereof
Maize or, rarely, sorghum, when such plants are processed to make molasses (treacle) or sugar
examples: text: He stalked behind her simple narrative, a kill-joy parent, hasty, intolerant, keeping a special cane to enforce the authority of his sadistic God[.]
ref: 1930, Norman Lindsay, Redheap, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, →OCLC, page 123:
glosses: The stem of such a plant adapted for use as a tool
A short rod or stick, traditionally of wood or bamboo, used for corporal punishment.
synonyms: rod
switch
examples: text: The teacher gave his student the cane for throwing paper.
glosses: The stem of such a plant adapted for use as a tool
Corporal punishment by beating with a cane.
synonyms: a caning
six of the best
whipping
cuts
examples: text: Judgelike thou sitt'st, to praise or to arraign / The flying skirmish of the darted cane.
ref: 1670, John Dryden, The Conquest of Granada:
glosses: The stem of such a plant adapted for use as a tool
A lance or dart made of cane
examples: text: After breaking his leg, he needed a cane to walk.
text: The cane was undoubtedly of foreign make, for it had a solid silver ferrule at one end, which was not English hall–marked.
ref: 1904–1905, Baroness Orczy [i.e., Emma Orczy], “The Ayrsham Mystery”, in The Case of Miss Elliott, London: T[homas] Fisher Unwin, published 1905, →OCLC; republished as popular edition, London: Greening & Co., 1909, OCLC 11192831, quoted in The Case of Miss Elliott (ebook no. 2000141h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg of Australia, February 2020:
text: Men that I knew around Wapatomac didn't wear high, shiny plug hats, nor yeller spring overcoats, nor carry canes with ivory heads as big as a catboat's anchor, as you might say.
ref: 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter X, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
glosses: A rod-shaped tool or device, resembling the stem of the plant.
A strong short staff used for support or decoration during walking; a walking stick
synonyms: staff
walking stick
topics: arts
crafts
glassblowing
hobbies
lifestyle
glosses: A rod-shaped tool or device, resembling the stem of the plant.
A length of colored and/or patterned glass rod, used in the specific glassblowing technique called caneworking
glosses: A rod-shaped tool or device, resembling the stem of the plant.
A long rod often collapsible and commonly white (for visibility to other persons), used by vision impaired persons for guidance in determining their course and for probing for obstacles in their path
synonyms: blind man's cane
white cane
examples: text: The bed was the most extravagant piece. Its graceful cane halftester rose high towards the cornice and was so festooned in carved white wood that the effect was positively insecure, as if the great couch were trimmed with icing sugar.
ref: 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 1, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
glosses: Split rattan, as used in wickerwork and basketry.
glosses: A local European measure of length; the canna.
Derived terms: word: bamboo cane
word: blind man's cane
word: candy cane
taxonomic: Arbutus unedo
word: cane apple
taxonomic: Fraxinus americana
word: cane ash
word: caneball
taxonomic: Bothriochloa barbinodis
word: cane beardgrass
word: cane beetle
taxonomic: Bothriochloa barbinodis
word: cane bluestem
word: caneboard
taxonomic: Oberea bimaculata
word: cane borer
word: canebrake
word: cane brake
word: cane carter
word: cane cutter
word: canecutter
word: cane field
word: canefield
word: canefruit
word: cane fu
word: cane gall
word: canegrass
alt: esp. Glyceria ramigera
word: cane grass
word: canegrub
alt: esp. Dermolepida albohirtum
word: cane grub
word: cane juice
taxonomic: Melasma melampyroides
word: cane killer
word: cane knife
word: caneland
word: caneless
word: canelike
word: cane-like
word: caneology
word: cane piece
word: caner
taxonomic: Thryonomys spp.
word: cane rat
word: cane rust
word: cane sugar
word: cane syrup
taxonomic: Rhinella marina
word: cane toad
word: cane train
word: caneware
word: canework
word: caneworking
word: canite
word: cany
word: dumbcane
taxonomic: Dieffenbachia seguine
word: dumb cane
word: floricane
word: giant cane
taxonomic: Arundinaria gigantea
word: great cane
taxonomic: Arundinaria appalachiana
word: hill cane
taxonomic: Arundinaria gigantea
word: large cane
taxonomic: Calamus australis
word: lawyer cane
word: macaroni cane
taxonomic: Panicum hemitomon
word: maiden cane
taxonomic: Calamus scipionum
word: Malacca cane
word: plant-cane
word: primocane
word: probing cane
taxonomic: Calamus spp.
word: rattan cane
word: recane
word: ribbon cane
word: rivercane
taxonomic: Arundinaria gigantea
word: river cane
word: Santa's cane
taxonomic: Arundinaria tecta
word: small cane
alt: Kunthia montana
word: snake cane
word: sugar-cane
taxonomic: Saccharum officinarum
word: sugar cane
word: sweet cane
taxonomic: Arundinaria gigantea
word: switch cane
word: sword cane
word: walking cane
word: white cane