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Glite Dictionary
🌴 A palm stem 🥢 A thin stick
rattan

rattan

1 7.7
A thin, flexible stick made from palm stems used to hit someone as punishment
  • noun
  • /ˈrætən/
translation icon : vara de ratán
  • A long rattan hung on the wall as a warning to the students.
  • rattan cane
  • rattan sword

Examples

  • He remembered being struck with a rattan in his childhood school.

  • The chair is made of rattan and is very comfortable.

  • The teacher threatened to use the rattan if the class misbehaved.

  • She used a rattan to whip the horse.

  • The artisan crafted a beautiful chair using rattan for its flexible and durable qualities.

  • She used a rattan cane to teach her students proper posture during their lessons.

  • The tropical rattan palm is known for its long, sturdy stems, perfect for making various handcrafted items.

Synonyms

rattan cane
vsrattan
1 5.2

A long thin flexible stem from a climbing palm used to make furniture or baskets

is narrower and used mainly as a thin switch for caning and whipping
ratan
vsrattan
  • Indian
9.9

A thin stick made from parts of a palm tree used for walking or to punish someone

is the same meaning but is an alternate spelling

Compounds

rattan cane
1 5.2

A long thin flexible stem from a climbing palm used to make furniture or baskets

rattan palm
  • Indian
7.9

A climbing palm whose long stems people use to make furniture and baskets

How Thin

rattan
1 7.7
stick
686 1.0
rod
148 2.1
pole
318 1.0

Surface Forms

rattan singular
rattans plural

Etymology

Rattan comes from the Malay word rotan, meaning 'a long, flexible palm', because people used the thin, strong stems as sticks for punishment or discipline. That's why rattan can also mean a thin cane or switch made from the palm's stem.