Definition of cactus
cacti
play \-ˌtī, -(ˌ)tē\ orcactuses
alsocactus
: 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)
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Recent Examples of cactus from the Web
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Salvador Jimenez-Flores molds a harsh futuristic landscape in which cactuses hybridize with humans to create a resilient mestizo race.
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The images can be of a vintage hat, jewelry, the bloom of a cactus or architecture that captured Kelly’s attention on a holiday — she's inspired by anything and everything.
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The collection consists of three items: the cactus eye mask ($35), a shortie pajama set ($110) and a night shirt ($95), sold exclusively on shop.theblondesalad.com.
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Non-prickly cactus: $34.99 on Amazon Floating on this desert dream will guarantee a succulent summer.
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The crew made its way around low-growing cactuses, through prickly and fragrant sage, over tuffs of wild grasses.
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There’s a hedgerow garden that includes moss gardens and flower pots, and there’s a cactus and succulent garden.
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A few places to find cold-hardy cacti▪ Geoscape Desert Nursery: A nursery located in Meridian specializing in cold-hardy cacti, succulents and perennials for rock gardens.
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Bighorn sheep amble past fields of cholla cactuses on the coral-colored hills that lead down from Oatman to Topock.
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.
Origin and Etymology of cactus
New Latin, genus name, from Latin, cardoon, from Greek kaktos
CACTUS Defined for English Language Learners
cactus
playDefinition of cactus for English Language Learners
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: a plant that lives in the desert and that has many sharp points (called spines)
CACTUS Defined for Kids
cactus
playDefinition of cactus for Students
cacti
\-ˌtī, -tē\ orcactuses
: any of a large group of flowering plants of dry regions that have thick juicy stems and branches with scales or spines
Learn More about cactus
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See words that rhyme with cactus Spanish Central: Translation of cactus Nglish: Translation of cactus for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cactus
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