cactus
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
1Other words from cactus
- cac·tus·like, cactoid, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use cactus in a sentence
In the interior a few beeches and cacti are met with, and then broad swamps, fringed with reeds and rushes.
The Desert World | Arthur ManginWhat a revelation it must be to one used to the barren alkali deserts of Wyoming, where, nothing grew but sage-bush and cacti!
The Honorable Percival | Alice Hegan RiceThe rolling terrain of the Mexican Plateau supports cacti, small leguminous trees, and grasses.
The Amphibians and Reptiles of Michoacn, Mxico | William E. DuellmanSpecimens were found in the daytime in stumps, dead cacti, and the hollow branches of the legume, Apoplanesia paniculata.
The Amphibians and Reptiles of Michoacn, Mxico | William E. DuellmanWhen in flower, which will be through some of the winter months, this requires a richer soil than the other Cacti.
The Practical Garden-Book | C. E. Hunn
British Dictionary definitions for cactus
/ (ˈkæktəs) /
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
1Derived 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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