a West Indian aroid plant, Dieffenbachia seguine, chewing the stem of which induces speechlessness by paralysing the throat muscles
dumb cane in American English
noun
a West Indian foliage plant, Dieffenbachia seguine, of the arum family, having yellow-blotched leaves that cause temporary speechlessness when chewed
Also called: mother-in-law plant
Word origin
[1690–1700]This word is first recorded in the period 1690–1700. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: catamaran, dogwatch, momentum, smash, synthetic