cactus

American  

[kak-tuhs] / ˈkæk təs /

noun

cacti, plural cactuses plural

1. 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.

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cactus British  

/ kækˈteɪʃəs, ˈkæktəs /

noun

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. a double-flowered variety of dahlia

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Usage

Plural word for cactus The plural form of cactus can be either cacti, cactuses, or cactus. Cacti is most commonly used. Like many words derived from Latin, it is pluralized by replacing the -us ending with -i, as in fungus/fungi and nucleus/nuclei. However, the plural form cactuses, created by adding the typical -es to the end, is also correct. This alternative plural form is also acceptable for some other Latin-derived or related terms, as in focus/foci/focuses and radius/radii/radiuses.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cactuslike
  adjective
• cactaceous
  adjective
• cactoid
  adjective

Inflected Forms

noun

• cacti
  plural
• cactus
  plural
• cactuses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cactus

1600–10; < Latin < Greek káktos cardoon

Explanation

A cactus is a succulent desert plant that's often covered in sharp spines. Some cacti grow brilliantly colored flowers, but none of them have leaves. You can grow an indoor cactus in a pot — it's a fairly easy plant to care for, since it prefers to be watered infrequently. Cacti are able to conserve water, which is why they do well in very dry environments, like the American Southwest. The Greek root of cactus is kaktos, the name of a specific spiky Sicilian plant.

Example Sentences

Despite a 13.50 ERA in Cactus League action, Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki will begin the season in the starting rotation.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

Cactus species whose flowers changed shape most rapidly were also far more likely to branch off into new species.

From Science Daily • May 13, 2026

Yamamoto is scheduled to make one more Cactus League start, against the Padres on Friday, before taking the Dodger Stadium mound next Thursday when the Diamondbacks come to town.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

The company is shifting cattle deliveries from feedlots where livestock are fattened to its other large processing facilities across the U.S., such as Grand Island, Neb., and Cactus, Texas.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

When I rounded the last corner, onto Cactus, I could see the studio, looking just as I remembered it.

From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer