cactus
[ kak-tuhs ]
noun,plural cac·ti [kak-tahy], /ˈkæk taɪ/, cac·tus·es, cac·tus.
any of numerous succulent plants of the family Cactaceae, of warm, arid regions of the New World, having fleshy, leafless, usually spiny stems, and typically having solitary, showy flowers.
Origin of cactus
11600–10; <Latin <Greek káktos cardoon
Other words from cactus
- cac·tus·like, cactoid, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for cactus
cactus
/ (ˈkæktəs) /
nounplural -tuses or -ti (-taɪ)
any spiny succulent plant of the family Cactaceae of the arid regions of America. Cactuses have swollen tough stems, leaves reduced to spines or scales, and often large brightly coloured flowers
cactus dahlia a double-flowered variety of dahlia
Origin of cactus
1C17: from Latin: prickly plant, from Greek kaktos cardoon
Derived forms of cactus
- cactaceous (kækˈteɪʃəs), adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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