opuntia

/ (ɒˈpʌnʃɪə) /

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noun

any cactus of the genus Opuntia, esp prickly pear, having fleshy branched stems and green, red, or yellow flowers

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QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

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Word Origin for opuntia

C17: New Latin, from Latin Opuntia (herba) the Opuntian (plant), from Opus, ancient town of Locris, Greece

Words nearby opuntia

optophone, optotype, opt out, opulence, opulent, opuntia, opus, opus anglicanum, opuscule, opusculum, Opus Dei

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

How to use opuntia in a sentence

The cochineal insect is indigenous here, and is found upon the Cactus opuntia.
Petals Plucked from Sunny Climes|Sylvia Sunshine
And presently Pablo noted something on the ground, at a distance, beside a clump of Opuntia.
The Woodlands Orchids|Frederick Boyle
I am greatly obliged to you about the Opuntia, and shall be glad if you can remember Catalpa.
More Letters of Charles Darwin Volume II|Charles Darwin
Prickly-pear cactus (Opuntia lindheimeri) was common in those stands of mesquite, and we saw an occasional yucca tree.
Vertebrates from the Barrier Island of Tamaulipas, Mxico|Robert K Selander

The most widely distributed of the various groups of cacti is the prickly pear group of the genus Opuntia.
The Fantastic Clan|John James Thornber