barrel cactus


noun
  1. any of several large, cylindrical, ribbed, spiny cacti of the genera Echinocactus and Ferocactus.

Origin of barrel cactus

1
An Americanism dating back to 1880–85

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use barrel cactus in a sentence

  • Near by springs up the barrel cactus, a forbidding column no one dares touch.

    The Romance of the Colorado River | Frederick S. Dellenbaugh
  • The Candy barrel cactus is a very fine plant which grows as high as seven feet and has twenty to thirty ridges running lengthwise.

    The Fantastic Clan | John James Thornber
  • The boys got out and walked quickly into the desert, found a barrel cactus, and began dissecting it with Rick's scout knife.

    The Scarlet Lake Mystery | Harold Leland Goodwin
  • She knew that the pulp of the barrel cactus that she tried to chew turned to bitter sawdust in her mouth and sickened her.

    The Heart of the Desert | Honor Willsie Morrow
  • Another of picturesque appeal is the bisnaga or barrel cactus, of which there are many species of many sizes.

    The Book of the National Parks | Robert Sterling Yard