cactus
Use Cactus in a sentence
təs Origin:
1600–10; < Latin < Greek káktos cardoon
1600–10; < Latin < Greek káktos cardoon
Related forms
cac·tus·like, cac·toid, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To cactus
Collins
World English Dictionary
cactus (ˈkæktəs) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n , pl -tuses, -ti | |
| 1. | 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 |
| 2. | cactus dahlia a double-flowered variety of dahlia |
| [C17: from Latin: prickly plant, from Greek kaktos cardoon] | |
| cactaceous | |
| —adj | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Cactus
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
cactus
c.1600, from L. cactus "cardoon," from Gk. kaktos, name of a type of prickly plant of Sicily (the Spanish artichoke), perhaps of pre-Hellenic origin. Modern meaning is 18c., because Linnaeus gave the name to a group of plants he thought were related to this but are not.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary
cactus (buttons) definition
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Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Example sentences
The barbs stick into you and you pull a segment of the cactus off.
Magnificent, spherical cactus covered with bright yellow curved spines.
Soft focus shots of a cactus, water in a river, a desert.
Or adding a touch of softness to a cactus and succulent garden.
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