cactus
[ kak-tuh s ]
/ ˈkæk təs /
|
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.
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Nearby words
Origin of cactus
1600–10; < Latin < Greek káktos cardoon
Related formscac·tus·like, cac·toid, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for cactus
British Dictionary definitions for cactus
cactus
/ (ˈkæktəs) /
noun plural -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
Derived Formscactaceous (kækˈteɪʃəs), adjective
Word Origin for cactus
C17: from Latin: prickly plant, from Greek kaktos cardoon
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for cactus
cactus
c.1600, from Latin cactus "cardoon," from Greek 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