cereus

[seer-ee-uhs]

noun

plural

cereuses 

1. any of various plants of the genus Cereus, of the cactus family, having large, usually white, funnel-shaped flowers.

2. any of several related, similar plants, especially of the genera Hylocereus, Nyctocereus, and Selenicereus.

cereus

/ ˈsɪərɪəs /

noun

1. any tropical American cactus of the genus Cereus, esp C. jamacaru of N Brazil, which grows to a height of 13 metres (40 feet)

2. any of several similar and related cacti, such as the night-blooming cereus

Word History and Origins

Origin of cereus¹

1720–30; < New Latin, Latin cēreus wax candle, noun use of cēreus cereous

Word History and Origins

Origin of cereus¹

C18: from New Latin, from Latin cēreus a wax taper, from cēra wax

Example Sentences

Lyell occasionally visited during the early years of their friendship and joined Welty and other friends in Welty’s backyard for meetings of the Night-Blooming Cereus Club, named after the garden flower that opens in the moonlight.

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The bacteria Bacillus cereus was found to be the contaminant in the cause of all three deaths.

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Dr Morris also highlighted that Bacillus cereus is resistant to some cleaning methods and that sporicides - disinfectants that kill microbial spores - can be required to achieve decontamination.

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“It’s a perfectly fine cocktail,” says Bradley Stephens, co-owner of cocktail and South American tapas bar Cereus PDX in Portland, Oregon, and vice president of the Board of Directors of the US Bartenders' Guild.

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In the two years since Stephens opened Cereus in June 2022 — just as the Espresso Martini craze was kicking off — he has yet to field a single order for one at his bar.

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