prickly pear

noun

1

or prickly pear cactus : opuntia

especially : an opuntia with flattened, usually paddle-shaped, jointed stem segments compare cholla, nopal

2

or prickly pear fruit : the pulpy, pear- or egg-shaped, edible, yellow to purplish-red fruit of various prickly pears (such as Opuntia ficus-indica) see tuna entry 2

Illustration of prickly pear

• prickly pear 1

Examples of prickly pear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Common edible plants in Arizona include prickly pear, saguaro fruit, and mesquite pods, but many native plants are protected. —Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 19 Sep. 2025

Extract the juice from fresh prickly pears using a juicer or blender. —Jillian Kubala, Health, 16 Sep. 2025

The prickly pear extract soothe irration and the brand’s signature VIP O2 complex evens your skin tone and hydrates without any tightness, leaving your face plump, clean, and ready for anything. —Tanya Akim, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025

Walkers can take in the staggered plots of orange groves and prickly pear bushes in Marsalforn Valley or soak up the quiet back streets of Gharb, the island’s westernmost town, overlooking Dwerja. —AFAR Media, 28 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1696, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for prickly pear

• aftercare
• anywhere
• billionaire
• chinaware
• debonair
• dinnerware
• disrepair
• doctrinaire
• earthenware
• everywhere
• frigidaire
• kitchenware

Kids Definition

prickly pear

noun

1

: any of numerous cacti with spines and usually flat stem segments

2

: the pear-shaped sweet edible pulpy fruit of a prickly pear