sugarcane

noun

sug·​ar·​cane ˈshu̇-gər-ˌkān 

: a stout tall perennial grass (Saccharum officinarum) native to tropical southeast Asia that has a large terminal panicle and is widely grown in warm regions as a source of sugar

Illustration of sugarcane

Examples of sugarcane in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Quolls are threatened by the cane toad, which was introduced to Australia in 1935 in an attempt to control beetle pests that were devouring sugarcane roots. —Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 7 Apr. 2025

The formula features slip modifiers that reduce surface friction along the hair shaft, plus sugarcane extract to reduce frizz. —Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 4 Apr. 2025

In the late 19th century, thousands of Japanese workers immigrated to Hawaii to work on sugarcane plantations, bringing their love of baseball with them. —Rachel Ng, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Mar. 2025

The corn and sugarcane fields of Punjab and Haryana had given way, by the second day, to fields of millet and soybean and lines of orange trees. —Amitava Kumar, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sugarcane

• aeroplane
• appertain
• ascertain
• capitaine
• cassegrain
• cellophane
• chatelaine
• counterpane
• entertain
• gethsemane
• halothane
• hurricane

Kids Definition

sugarcane

noun

sug·​ar·​cane ˈshu̇g-ər-ˌkān 

: a tall tropical grass that has a thick jointed stem and is widely grown in warm regions as a source of sugar