saguaro

American  

[suh-gwahr-oh, -wahr-oh] / səˈgwɑr oʊ, -ˈwɑr oʊ /

noun

saguaros plural

1. a tall, horizontally branched cactus, Carnegiea (orCereus ) gigantea, of Arizona and neighboring regions, yielding a useful wood and bearing an edible fruit: still locally common, though some populations have been reduced.

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saguaro British  

/ səˈwɑː-, səˈɡwɑːrəʊ, səˈwɑːrəʊ /

noun

1. a giant cactus, Carnegiea gigantea, of desert regions of Arizona, S California, and Mexico, having white nocturnal flowers and edible red pulpy fruits

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• saguaros
  plural

Etymology

Origin of saguaro

1855–60, < Mexican Spanish saguaro, sahuaro, said to be < Opata (now extinct Uto-Aztecan language of Sonora)

Example Sentences

The streets of the Catalina Foothills are lined with Arizona's iconic, giant three-armed Saguaro cacti – and throngs of journalists, investigators and neighbours fixated on the disappearance of the mother of TV presenter Savannah Guthrie.

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026

Saguaro cacti in the Sonoran desert, of course.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2024

Saguaro cactuses rose overhead, their stubby arms thrust upward like startled giants.

From New York Times • Jun. 10, 2023

“At the same time, increasingly intense storms can harm even the hardiest cacti,” said Cam Juarez, engagement coordinator at Saguaro National Park.

From Washington Post • Aug. 31, 2022

He spoke as if to Senor Saguaro or to the blazing mountains beyond.

From "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli