cactus

noun cac·tus \ ˈkak-təs \

|Updated on: 6 Aug 2018

Definition of cactus

plural cacti play \-ˌtī, -(ˌ)tē\ or cactuses also 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)

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Recent Examples of cactus from the Web

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
The video above shows two domesticated dromedary camels—named Baby and Nessie—gnawing on a prickly pear cactus near Tucson, Arizona.

— elaina zachos, National Geographic, "This is How Camels Can Eat Spikey Cacti," 30 May 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.