nopal
Americannoun
-
any of several cacti of the genus Nopalea, resembling the prickly pear.
-
the fruit of such a cactus, or of a similar cactus, as the prickly pear.
noun
-
any of various cactuses of the genus Nopalea, esp the red-flowered N. cochinellifera, which is a host plant of the cochineal insect
-
a cactus, Opuntia lindheimeri, having yellow flowers and purple fruits See also prickly pear
Etymology
Origin of nopal
1720–30; < Mexican Spanish < Nahuatl nohpalli
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.
That vibrant red, a hue prized in Zapotec culture for 2,000 years, is derived from the cochineal, a tiny insect that thrives on nopal cactus.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 29, 2024
Recently, I skipped my morning dose of nopal for a week, and my symptoms of diabetes returned.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 8, 2022
Heavy on the acidity, with a pronounced vegetal flavor, Fluère Smoked Agave not only tastes of its namesake, but nopal cactus, as well.
From Salon • May 3, 2022
Three hours northwest of Mexico City, this community of 3,000 people is surrounded by razor-sharp cactuses, like the nopal, and sun-scorched desert trees, like the palo dulce.
From New York Times • Mar. 21, 2022
I can literally walk up to any nopal in town and cut off a paddle.
From "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter" by Erika L. Sánchez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
