ocotillo
[ oh-kuh-teel-yoh; Spanish aw-kaw-tee-yaw ]
/ ˌoʊ kəˈtil yoʊ; Spanish ˌɔ kɔˈti yɔ /
noun, plural o·co·til·los [oh-kuh-teel-yohz; Spanish aw-kaw-tee-yaws] /ˌoʊ kəˈtil yoʊz; Spanish ˌɔ kɔˈti yɔs/.
a spiny, woody shrub, Fouqueria splendens, of arid regions of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico, having a tight cluster of red flowers at the tip of each branch.
Nearby words
ockham's razor, ockham, william of, ockodols, ocmulgee, oconee-bells, ocotillo, ocr, ocracoke island, ocrea, ocreate, ocs
Origin of ocotillo
1855–60, Americanism; < Mexican Spanish, diminutive of ocote kind of pine < Nahuatl ocotl
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for ocotillo
ocotillo
/ (ˌəʊkəˈtiːljəʊ) /
noun plural -los
a cactus-like tree, Fouquieria splendens, of Mexico and the southwestern US, with scarlet tubular flowers: used for hedges and candlewood: family Fouquieriaceae
Word Origin for ocotillo
Mexican Spanish: diminutive of ocote pine, from Nahuatl ocotl torch
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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