Illustration of prickly pear
- prickly pear 1
prickly pear
noun
1
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
Examples of prickly pear in a Sentence
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The climate of the hills is temperate sub-Mediterranean, and areas that are almost arid where dwarf prickly pear or capers grow wild alternate with others that are much wetter and cooler, in the woods where chestnut trees are common.
—
Elisabetta Tosi, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
She’s stayed alive for three weeks primarily by eating the native flora: acacia seeds, mint, prickly pear cactus, and roots.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 8 Aug. 2025
There’s also a bar slinging prickly pear margaritas, zero-proof cocktails, and Narragansett lagers.
—Ellen Carpenter, AFAR Media, 2 July 2025
Other popular Arizona foods include Sonoran hot dogs, prickly pear margaritas and paletas.
—Endia Fontanez, AZCentral.com, 29 July 2025
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Elisabetta Tosi, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
She’s stayed alive for three weeks primarily by eating the native flora: acacia seeds, mint, prickly pear cactus, and roots.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 8 Aug. 2025
There’s also a bar slinging prickly pear margaritas, zero-proof cocktails, and Narragansett lagers.
—Ellen Carpenter, AFAR Media, 2 July 2025
Other popular Arizona foods include Sonoran hot dogs, prickly pear margaritas and paletas.
—Endia Fontanez, AZCentral.com, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for prickly pear
Cite this Entry
“Prickly pear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prickly%20pear. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.
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