cane
gb/kˈeɪn/ us/kˈeɪn/
B1
English
~ 6100
járóbot, sétabot, pálca, nádpálca, cukornád, rattan, fonott nád, cukorpálca, karó, növénytámasz, pálcával megver, megbotoz, tarol, simán elver
B1
1
Usage pattern:
walk with a cane
After his knee surgery, he used a cane for several weeks.
Térdműtétje után több hétig járóbotot használt.
The old man walked slowly down the street, tapping his cane on the sidewalk.
Az idős férfi lassan ment végig az utcán, botjával a járdát kopogtatva.
People who are blind often use a white cane to help them navigate safely.
She folded up her travel cane and put it in her bag when she sat down.
His doctor suggested a cane to take pressure off his hip.
Learner examples
My grandfather walks with a cane.
A nagyapám bottal jár.
She uses a white cane because she cannot see.
Fehér botot használ, mert nem lát.
He leans on his cane when he stands up.
The man fell, so now he needs a cane.
I saw an old woman with a cane on the bus.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "cane" with "stick". A "cane" usually suggests a walking aid with a clear handle, while "stick" is more general and can be any small piece of wood. In British English, "walking stick" is also very common and means the same as a walking cane.
Meaning
stick used to help walking
Collocations
walking cane
|white cane
|use a cane
|lean on a cane
|walk with a cane
|cane user
Synonyms
walking stick (Very close in meaning; slightly more common in British English and does not suggest the curved handle as strongly.)
Antonyms
unaided (Describes walking without any support, which is the opposite situation of needing a cane.)
Themes
daily life
|health
|ageing
|body
|daily_life
Definition
A long, thin stick that a person holds to help them walk or stand.
A slender stick, usually with a curved or shaped handle, used to support a person while walking or standing.
NOUN
B2
2
Usage pattern:
hit [someone] with a cane
In the past, some schools used the cane to punish students.
Régebben néhány iskolában pálcával büntették a diákokat.
He still remembers the fear of the cane from his childhood.
Még mindig emlékszik arra, mennyire félt gyerekkorában a pálcától.
The judge noted that caning is still a legal punishment in that country.
Parents today are much less likely to approve of the cane as discipline.
The headmaster kept a cane hanging on the wall of his office.
Learner examples
Long ago, teachers used the cane in school.
Réges-régen a tanárok pálcával büntettek az iskolában.
Many people now think the cane is too cruel.
Ma már sokan úgy gondolják, hogy a pálca túl kegyetlen.
The boy was afraid of the cane.
Some countries still use the cane as a punishment.
His father never used the cane on him.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think every "cane" is for walking. In contexts of schools, prisons, or punishment, "the cane" usually means a stick used to hit someone, not a walking aid.
Meaning
stick used for corporal punishment
Collocations
the cane
|use the cane
|threaten with the cane
|corporal punishment with the cane
|be sentenced to the cane
Synonyms
rod (Also means a stick for punishment, but can be shorter and stiffer and is more general; does not specifically suggest the long, flexible style of a traditional cane.)
Antonyms
reward (Getting a positive outcome for behaviour is the opposite of being punished with the cane.)
Themes
law
|education
|violence
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A long, thin stick that is used to hit people as a punishment.
A thin, flexible stick, traditionally made of rattan or similar material, used to strike a person as a form of punishment or discipline.
NOUN
B2
3
cukornád
B2
Usage pattern:
grow [cane]
The region's economy depends heavily on cane and rice farming.
A régió gazdasága nagymértékben függ a cukornád- és rizstermesztéstől.
Workers cut the cane by hand in the early morning.
A munkások kora reggel kézzel vágják a cukornádat.
Most of the world's rum is made from fermented cane products.
The river runs through miles of green cane fields.
They switched from growing cane to growing vegetables because of low sugar prices.
Learner examples
Sugar can come from cane or beets.
A cukor készülhet cukornádból vagy cukorrépából.
Farmers grow cane in warm countries.
A gazdák meleg országokban cukornádat termesztenek.
Workers cut the cane and send it to the factory.
We drove past large fields of cane.
He works on a cane farm near the coast.
Common mistake:
Learners may think "cane" by itself always means the tool for walking. In farming or food contexts, especially with words like "field", "grow", or "harvest", it usually means the plant used to make sugar.
Meaning
tall grass plant for sugar
Collocations
sugar cane
|cane field
|cane grower
|cut cane
|harvest cane
|cane plantation
Synonyms
sugarcane (A more specific and often single-word form that refers directly to the sugar-producing cane plant.)
Antonyms
beet (In the context of sugar production, sugar beets are an alternative source, often presented as the opposite main crop to sugar cane.)
Themes
food
|agriculture
|nature
|food_drink
|science
Definition
A tall grass plant with hard, thick stems that people grow to make sugar or other products.
A tall, thick-stemmed grass, especially sugar cane, whose fibrous stems are harvested for sugar or other products.
NOUN
B2
4
rattan
B2
fonott nád
B2
Usage pattern:
make [something] from cane
They sat on old cane chairs on the veranda.
Régi rattan székeken ültek a verandán.
The seat of the armchair is made of woven cane.
A fotel ülőrésze fonott nádból készült.
She repairs antique furniture and can replace broken cane backs.
Cane furniture is light and looks good in a sunroom.
The basket is handmade from natural cane.
Learner examples
The chair has a cane seat.
A szék ülőkéje fonott nádból van.
We bought a set of cane furniture for the balcony.
Vettünk egy rattanbútor-garnitúrát az erkélyre.
She put the apples in a cane basket.
The back of the old chair is made of cane.
He likes the look of natural cane in his house.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "cane furniture" means furniture shaped like walking canes. It actually refers to furniture woven from thin strips of plant stem.
Meaning
material for woven furniture
Collocations
cane chair
|cane furniture
|woven cane seat
|cane basket
|cane back
|cane work
Synonyms
rattan (Names the specific plant and material often used for cane work; not all rattan is processed into cane, and "rattan" can refer to the whole vine.)
Antonyms
upholstery (Refers to padded fabric covering on furniture, which contrasts with the hard woven surface of cane furniture.)
Themes
home
|materials
|crafts
|housing
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Thin, bendable pieces of plant stem used to make chairs, baskets, and other woven furniture.
Thin, flexible strips of rattan or similar plant stems used as a material for weaving the seats and backs of chairs, baskets, and other furniture.
NOUN
B1
5
cukorpálca
B1
Usage pattern:
eat a candy cane
The children hung red and white canes on the Christmas tree.
A gyerekek piros-fehér cukorpálcákat akasztottak a karácsonyfára.
She slipped a small cane into each party bag as a treat.
Minden ajándékzacskóba becsúsztatott egy kis cukorpálcát.
I bought a box of peppermint canes for the office.
He stirred his hot chocolate with a candy cane.
Most people think of canes as a Christmas candy.
Learner examples
We put candy canes on the tree.
Cukorpálcákat teszünk a fára.
Each child got a small cane full of sugar.
Minden gyerek kapott egy kis cukorpálcát.
He ate three candy canes after dinner.
She likes red and white canes at Christmas.
I see canes in the store every December.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that in American English "candy cane" is a fixed term for a specific Christmas sweet. The word "cane" alone usually needs "candy" to make this meaning clear.
Meaning
stick-shaped hard candy
Collocations
candy cane
|peppermint cane
|striped cane
|hang canes on the tree
Synonyms
candy cane (The full common term for this kind of sweet; "cane" by itself in this sense usually appears as part of this compound.)
Antonyms
savory snack (In the context of food, a salty or non-sweet snack contrasts with a sugary candy cane.)
Themes
food
|holidays
|children
|food_drink
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A sweet made of hard sugar that looks like a small cane, usually eaten at Christmas.
A piece of hard candy shaped like a small walking stick, often striped and associated with Christmas.
NOUN
B2
6
karó
A2
növénytámasz
B2
Usage pattern:
tie [a plant] to a cane
She tied the young tomato plants to tall canes.
A fiatal paradicsompalántákat magas karókhoz kötözte.
Bamboo canes are cheap and useful in the garden.
A bambuszkarók olcsók és hasznosak a kertben.
The beans climbed quickly up the canes by midsummer.
He pushed a cane into the soil next to each flower for support.
Without canes, the heavy plants would fall over.
Learner examples
We put canes in the garden for the plants.
Karókat tettünk a kertbe a növényeknek.
The beans grow up the canes.
A bab felfut a karókra.
He ties the flowers to canes so they do not fall.
You can use bamboo canes to help tall plants.
She bought some plant canes at the shop.
Common mistake:
Learners may think "cane" in gardening always means the plant itself. Here it usually means a stick (often bamboo) used as a support for other plants.
Meaning
support stick for garden plants
Collocations
bamboo cane
|tomato canes
|plant canes
|tie plants to canes
|support with canes
Synonyms
stake (A more general word for any stick pushed into the ground to support plants or structures; not always made from cane material.)
Antonyms
creeper (In gardening, a creeping plant that spreads along the ground needs less vertical support, contrasting with plants that need canes.)
Themes
gardening
|nature
|home
|daily_life
|housing
Definition
A long, thin stick put in the soil to help plants stand up and grow straight.
A long, thin stick or stem placed in the ground to support climbing or tall plants in a garden.
VERB
B2
7
megbotoz
B2
Usage pattern:
cane [someone]
In those days, teachers could cane students for talking in class.
Akkoriban a tanárok pálcával megverhették a diákokat, ha beszélgettek az órán.
He was caned three times for trying to escape.
Háromszor megbotozták, amiért megpróbált megszökni.
Human rights groups condemned the decision to cane the offender.
The headmaster used to cane boys in front of the whole school.
Parents protested after a child was caned by a staff member.
Learner examples
Long ago, teachers sometimes caned children.
Régen a tanárok néha pálcával verték a gyerekeket.
The man was caned as part of his punishment.
A férfit a büntetése részeként megbotozták.
They said they would cane any boy who fought.
Students were afraid the teacher would cane them.
Many people now say we should never cane children.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "cane" to mean "hit" in general. In modern English it almost always means hitting with a cane, usually in a formal or legal punishment context, and is not a neutral verb like "hit".
Meaning
to hit with a cane
Collocations
cane a student
|be caned
|severely caned
|threaten to cane
|publicly caned
Synonyms
whip (Means to hit with a whip rather than a cane; emphasizes the tool and can also be more metaphorical.)
Antonyms
forgive (Choosing not to punish someone is the opposite of caning them.)
Themes
violence
|law
|education
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To hit someone again and again with a cane to punish them.
To strike a person repeatedly with a cane, especially as a form of punishment or discipline.
VERB
C1
INFORMAL
8
tarol
B2
simán elver
B1
Usage pattern:
cane [someone] / cane [an exam]
We absolutely caned them in the final and won 5–0.
A döntőben teljesen taroltunk, és 5–0-ra nyertünk.
She revised hard and completely caned the exam.
Keményen készült, és teljesen tarolt a vizsgán.
They got caned in the second half and lost by four goals.
If you study like that, you’ll cane the test tomorrow.
Our team was caned last year, but we’re much stronger now.
Learner examples
Their team caned us last weekend.
A csapatuk simán elvert minket múlt hétvégén.
He studied a lot and caned the exam.
Sokat tanult, és tarolt a vizsgán.
We caned the other side and scored many goals.
Last year they caned us, but this year we won.
If you work hard, you can cane the test.
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use this sense of "cane" in American English, where it is rare and may not be understood. It is mainly British and Australian informal speech.
Meaning
to beat badly or do extremely well
Collocations
cane the opposition
|cane the exam
|absolutely caned them
|we got caned
|be caned in the match
Synonyms
thrash (Also informal; usually means to beat someone heavily in a game or fight, but does not carry the exam/doing-very-well meaning.)
Antonyms
scrape through (Means to succeed only with difficulty, which contrasts with caning an exam or opponent.)
Themes
informal
|sports
|education
|core_vocabulary
Definition
In informal British and Australian English, to win by a lot or to get a very high result in a test or activity.
In informal British and Australian English, to defeat someone by a large amount or to do extremely well in an exam, task, or competition.
Grammar
Dictionary form
cane
IPA
GB/kˈeɪn/
US/kˈeɪn/
Syllables & stress
cane (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (cane)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: cane
- Plural: cane, canes
Verb
- Base: cane
- 3rd Person Singular: canes
- Present Participle: caning
- Past: caned
Word family
Forms
canes
noun
caning
verb
caned
verb
Related words
sugarcane
noun
Expressions
candy cane
1/kˈændi kˈeɪn/
fixed phrase
hard cane-shaped Christmas candy
A hard, sweet candy that looks like a small cane, usually red and white, eaten at Christmas.
Examples
- The children hung candy canes on the branches of the Christmas tree.
- She bought a box of peppermint candy canes for her classmates.
- Each gift bag included a small toy and a candy cane.
cane sugar
1/kˈeɪn ʃˈʊɡɚ/
fixed phrase
sugar made from sugar cane
Sugar that is made from the sugar cane plant.
Examples
- The recipe calls for brown cane sugar instead of white sugar.
- Many people prefer cane sugar to corn syrup in soft drinks.
- The factory processes raw cane sugar into refined white sugar.
cane toad
1/kˈeɪn tˈoʊd/
fixed phrase
large invasive poisonous toad
A very large toad that is poisonous and was brought to some countries to eat insects in sugar cane fields.
Examples
- Cane toads have become a serious invasive species in parts of Australia.
- The documentary showed how cane toads spread far beyond the sugar cane farms.
- Pets can die if they bite a cane toad.
lean on a cane
1/lˈin ˈɔn ə kˈeɪn/
fixed phrase
rest body weight on a cane
To put some of your weight on a cane when you stand or walk.
Examples
- He stood at the bus stop, leaning on a cane.
- She paused at the corner to lean on her cane and catch her breath.
- The old man leaned on his cane as he spoke to us.
sugar cane
1/ʃˈʊɡɚ kˈeɪn/
fixed phrase
plant grown to produce sugar
A tall grass plant with thick, sweet stems that people grow to make sugar.
Examples
- Most of the country's sugar comes from sugar cane.
- We drove past huge fields of sugar cane on the way to the coast.
- Farmers are switching from sugar cane to other crops because of low prices.
walk with a cane
1/wˈɔk wˈɪθ ə kˈeɪn/
fixed phrase
move using a cane for support
To walk while holding and using a cane to help support your body.
Examples
- He can still walk with a cane, but long distances are difficult.
- After the operation, she had to walk with a cane for two months.
- Many older people walk with a cane to feel more stable.
walking cane
1/wˈɔkɪŋ kˈeɪn/
fixed phrase
cane used as walking aid
A cane that a person uses to help them walk or stand.
Examples
- After his injury, he relied on a walking cane for short trips outside.
- The shop sells different types of walking canes for seniors.
- Her doctor recommended a walking cane to reduce the pressure on her knee.
white cane
1/wˈaɪt kˈeɪn/
fixed phrase
white cane for blind people
A white cane that blind or visually impaired people use to help them move around safely.
Examples
- Drivers are required to stop when a person with a white cane is crossing the road.
- The charity provides free white canes to people who are losing their sight.
- He learned special techniques for using a white cane in busy streets.