Indian fig

American  

noun

1. a bushy or treelike cactus, Opuntia ficus-indica, of central Mexico, having large yellow flowers and juicy, red, edible fruit.

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Etymology

Origin of Indian fig

First recorded in 1585–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Indian fig

And, always, winter’s fog and mist, one of Nepal’s seasonally distinct languages, shrouding the shrines in Pashupatinath, one of the world’s holiest Shiva temples, or cloaking a farmer by the valley’s sacred Indian fig trees.

From New York Times ● Mar. 5, 2015

I accordingly followed him, when, taking up his gourd of water, he led me to a small hut in front of a large and aged pippul-tree, a species of banyan or Indian fig.

From My First Voyage to Southern Seas by Pearse, Alfred

Banyan, the Indian fig; a tree whose branches, bending to the ground, take root and form new stocks, till they cover a large area and become a forest.

From The Nuttall Encyclopædia Being a Concise and Comprehensive Dictionary of General Knowledge by Nuttall, P. Austin

The prickly pear cactus, or Indian fig, of the genus Opuntia is a common as well as a numerous family.

From Arizona Sketches by Munk, J. A. (Joseph Amasa)

Opuntia, the Indian fig, is another flowering sort, though not so valuable.

From Gardening Indoors and Under Glass A Practical Guide to the Planting, Care and Propagation of House Plants, and to the Construction and Management of Hotbed, Coldframe and Small Greenhouse by Rockwell, F. F. (Frederick Frye)