cactus

noun

cac·tus | \ ˈkak-təs

plural cacti\-ˌtī,

-(ˌ)tē \ or cactuses also cactus

Definition of cactus

: any of a family (Cactaceae, the cactus family) of plants that have succulent stems and branches with scales or spines instead of leaves and are found especially in dry areas (such as deserts)

Examples of cactus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Other common euphorbias include crotons, crown of thorns, and many other cactus-like plants. — Kenneth Setzer, miamiherald, "Some of South Florida's most popular plants may be toxic to pets," 14 June 2018 The results won’t be as precise in other parts of the country where the algorithm has not been trained on local conditions—a redwood tree or saguaro cactus looks nothing like a willow oak. — Bill Gourgey, WIRED, "How Artificial Intelligence Could Prevent Natural Disasters," 10 July 2018 Sixty species of succulents and cactuses were planted, reflecting a young reef. — Martina Schimitschek, sandiegouniontribune.com, "At Scripps, a seascape landscape," 5 July 2018 Nopales are cactus: the big flat green paddles, without the thorns, of course. — Polly Campbell, Cincinnati.com, "Cincy-Cinco will turn Cincinnati into Tacopolis to celebrate their quinceañera," 2 May 2018 Here towering cactus stand out majestically across the picture-perfect azure waters of the canal. — Allie Almario, Town & Country, "How to Plan a Trip to the Galápagos Islands," 5 Oct. 2016 In this case, of course, the fleshy specimen was not a frisky divorcée looking for a threesome but a diminutive potted cactus. — Michelle Slatalla, WSJ, "Plant Swaps: The Cheap Way to Score Rare Houseplants," 7 June 2018 The designers are said to be the first to use Trichocereus (called the torch cactus) as the base of the fragrance. — Kavita Daswani, latimes.com, "Designers behind Proenza Schouler find fresh inspiration on a road trip from L.A. to West Texas," 19 Apr. 2018 The big cat was perched on a tall, prickly cactus, but didn't seem to mind the spikes. — Caitlin O'kane, CBS News, "Bobcat sitting on top of tall cactus goes viral after being spotted by 2 bikers," 19 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cactus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.