Rattan

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɹəˈtan/

Definitions

1. A climbing palm with flexible, long stems that are commonly used to produce various types of furniture and decorative crafts
2. A durable raw material sourced from specific vine-like palms, widely employed in the design of furniture and artisanal goods
3. A type of climbing palm characterized by its flexible, elongated stems, this material is often utilized for crafting furniture and decorative items

Etymology: Rattan names both a family of climbing palms and the pliant, peeled stems those palms produce, which have been stripped and woven into chairs and baskets for centuries. The English word was borrowed from Malay, where "rotan" is the everyday term for the plant. Europeans trading in Southeast Asia encountered the cane there and carried the Malay name back with them, so the English word records a direct contact with the region where the plant grows wild. The word has no connection to the English words "rat" or "tan" despite looking like it might. Its resemblance to those words is coincidence, and the familiar shape of the English spelling is simply an adaptation of the Malay original.

Synonyms: cane, palm