What does sugarcane mean?
Sugarcane is a tall tropical grass whose thick, fibrous stalks contain the sugar called sucrose. When harvested, the stalks are sent to a mill, where their juice is extracted and processed into sugar and other products. The crop is especially important in warm climates with abundant rainfall and is grown across parts of Asia, the Americas, Africa, and Oceania. In everyday use, sugarcane can mean the living plant, the harvested stalks, or the crop as an agricultural commodity. It is also used to make juice, molasses, rum, and fermented or refined sugar products. The related sugar beet is a major alternative source of sugar, but it is a root crop rather than a grass. Understanding sugarcane clarifies a basic feature of global agriculture and the production of one of the world's most widely consumed sweeteners.
nounA tall tropical grass, Saccharum officinarum, cultivated for its thick, fibrous stalks, which contain sucrose and are processed into sugar. The term can also refer to the stalks or crop itself.
- The tall tropical grass Saccharum officinarum, cultivated for its sugar-rich stalks.
- The stalks or harvested crop of sugarcane, used as a source of sugar, juice, or other products.
"Sugarcane grows readily in warm, wet climates and is a major source of commercial sugar."
"The plantation grows sugarcane on thousands of acres."
"Workers cut and transport the sugarcane to the mill before the stalks are processed."
Usually used when referring to individual plants or stands of the crop; the plural is less common than the collective use of the singular.
"The sugarcanes along the path grew taller than the surrounding vegetation."
Sugarcane is a grass that stores its sweetness in the stalk, making it one of the world's most productive sugar crops.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sugarcane come from?
Sugarcane entered English in the early 17th century from Spanish caña de azúcar, literally “cane of sugar.” Spanish caña derives from Latin canna, meaning “reed” or “cane,” while azúcar comes through Arabic sukkar from an older South Asian word for sugar. English initially favored the two-word form “sugar cane,” although the modern closed compound “sugarcane” eventually became standard.
How sugarcane is actually used
The compound is commonly written as one word, although the spelling “sugar cane” is also accepted, especially when referring to the crop or to the individual stalks. In British usage, “sugar cane” is particularly common, while “sugarcane” is frequently used in technical and agricultural contexts.
Easily confused with sugarcane
Sugarcane is a tropical grass, while a sugar beet is a root crop; both are cultivated to produce sugar.