noun
Common
kane
kayn
Kane (noun) means a word for a Polynesian or Māori man. Example: “In the story, the kane carved a canoe from a single tree.”
noun
1
A word for a Polynesian or Māori man.
"In the story, the kane carved a canoe from a single tree."
"The guide explained that kane is the word for a man in Hawaiian."
"The old song addresses a kane returning from the sea."
"I wanna be with all the kanes and wahines that I knew long ago"
— Tommy Harrison, Bill Cogswell (1933)
2
A surname of Irish origin.
"Her maiden name was Kane, a common surname in parts of Ireland."
"Mr Kane opened the door and welcomed us in."
"The Kane family has run the bakery for three generations."
How to use kane
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA Polynesian/Māori word for "man," or a common Irish surname.
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Word forms
- Plural
- kanes
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In the story, the _____ carved a canoe from a single tree.
Etymology
The Polynesian sense comes from Māori "kāne," meaning "man"; the surname sense is an Anglicized form of an Irish name.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for kane
See all rhymes for kane →Frequently asked questions
What does “kane” mean?
The word “kane” means a word for a Polynesian or Māori man. In plain terms, a Polynesian/Māori word for "man," or a common Irish surname.
How do you pronounce “kane”?
“Kane” is pronounced kayn (/keɪn/ in IPA).
How do you use “kane” in a sentence?
Here is “kane” used in a sentence: “The old song addresses a kane returning from the sea.”
What part of speech is “kane”?
“Kane” is a noun.
Where does the word “kane” come from?
The word “kane” comes from Irish. The Polynesian sense comes from Māori "kāne," meaning "man"; the surname sense is an Anglicized form of an Irish name.
Is “kane” a common word?
“Kane” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “kane” have?
“Kane” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a word for a Polynesian or Māori man.
What is the difference between "kane" and "wahine"?
In Hawaiian and other Polynesian languages, "kane" means a man or male, while "wahine" means a woman or female. The pair is often seen labelling men's and women's areas, such as restroom doors in Hawaii.
Is the surname "Kane" related to "kane" meaning a man?
No. As a surname, "Kane" is of Irish origin and is unrelated to the Polynesian and Māori word "kane" meaning a man. The two share a spelling only by coincidence.
What is the difference between "kane" and "cane"?
"Kane" refers to a Polynesian or Māori man, or is an Irish surname, while "cane" is a walking stick or a tall plant stem such as sugar cane. They sound alike but have completely different meanings.
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