night-blooming cereus

American

[nahyt-bloo-ming] / ˈnaɪtˌblu mɪŋ /

noun

any of various cacti of the genera Hylocereus, Peniocereus, Nyctocereus, or Selenicereus, having large, usually white flowers that open at night.

night-blooming cereus British

noun

any of several cacti of the genera Hylocereus, Selenicereus, etc, having large fragrant flowers that open at night

"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

Etymology

Origin of night-blooming cereus

First recorded in 1800–10

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In describing the importance of journey in his pieces, Turrell mentions a night-blooming cereus known as the Queen of the Night.

From New York Times • May 9, 2013

Our night-blooming cereus is good enough for me.''

From Time Magazine Archive

In the strange white radiance of Alabama moonlight white flowers�Cherokee roses, the night-blooming cereus, moon flowers and honey-suckle�were sweeter than at any other time.

From Time Magazine Archive

This shot of a man taking a picture of a night-blooming cereus in Arizona.

From Time Magazine Archive

Cereus macdonaldiæ.—A night-blooming cereus, and one of the most beautiful.

From Catalogue of Economic Plants in the Collection of the U. S. Department of Agriculture by Saunders, William

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023