sugar-cane

A farmer harvests tall sugar-cane stalks in a sunny field.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A tall tropical grass: "sugar-cane" refers to a perennial grass of the genus Saccharum, characterized by thick, solid stems that are a major source of sucrose (table sugar). It is cultivated in warm climates for its sweet sap.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The farmer harvested the sugar-cane to extract its juice. (The tall grass was cut for its sweet liquid.)
  • Sugar-cane is processed in mills to produce raw sugar. (The stems are crushed and refined to make sugar.)

Advanced Usage

• "sugar-cane juice": the liquid extracted from the stems of sugar-cane, often consumed as a beverage or used in cooking.

  • In many tropical countries, vendors sell fresh sugar-cane juice as a refreshing drink. (The juice is pressed directly from the stalks.)

• "sugar-cane plantation": a large farm where sugar-cane is grown commercially.

  • The sugar-cane plantation employed hundreds of workers during harvest season. (The farm specialized in cultivating this crop.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sugar-cane (n): the plant itself. Note: This is the exact target word; no compound forms like "sugarcane" (a common variant spelling) are included here.
• Cane sugar (n): sugar derived from sugar-cane, as opposed to beet sugar.
  • Cane sugar is often preferred for baking due to its flavor. (Sugar from this plant.)
• Sugarcane (n): an alternative spelling of "sugar-cane," often used in modern English.
  • Sugarcane is a major cash crop in Brazil. (The same plant, spelled as one word.)

Synonyms

• Cane: a general term for the stem of certain grasses, including sugar-cane.
  • The workers cut the cane with machetes. (Short for sugar-cane in context.)
• Saccharum: the scientific genus name for sugar-cane.
  • Saccharum officinarum is the species most commonly cultivated. (The botanical term.)

Related Idioms