cane

n. [ OE. cane, canne, OF. cane, F. canne, L. canna, fr. Gr. ka`nna, ka`nnh; prob. of Semitic origin; cf. Heb. qāneh reed. Cf. Canister, canon, 1st Cannon. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Bot.) (a) A name given to several peculiar palms, species of Calamus and Dæmanorops, having very long, smooth flexible stems, commonly called rattans. (b) Any plant with long, hard, elastic stems, as reeds and bamboos of many kinds; also, the sugar cane. (c) Stems of other plants are sometimes called canes; as, the canes of a raspberry. [ 1913 Webster ]

Like light canes, that first rise big and brave. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In the Southern United States great cane is the Arundinaria macrosperma, and small cane is. Arundinaria tecta. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A walking stick; a staff; -- so called because originally made of one of the species of cane. [ 1913 Webster ]

Stir the fire with your master's cane. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A lance or dart made of cane. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Judgelike thou sitt'st, to praise or to arraign
The flying skirmish of the darted cane. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A local European measure of length. See Canna. [ 1913 Webster ]

Cane borer (Zool.), A beetle (Oberea bimaculata) which, in the larval state, bores into pith and destroy the canes or stalks of the raspberry, blackberry, etc. --
Cane mill, a mill for grinding sugar canes, for the manufacture of sugar. --
Cane trash, the crushed stalks and other refuse of sugar cane, used for fuel, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]