Definition of saguaro
saguaros
: a tall columnar usually sparsely-branched cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) of dry areas of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico that bears white flowers and a scaly reddish edible fruit and that may attain a height of up to 50 feet (16 meters) —called also giant cactus
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saguaro was our Word of the Day on 05/17/2011. Hear the podcast!
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Recent Examples of saguaro from the Web
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The saguaro cactuses and desert flowers welcome the rain, as does the animal life.
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Keeping company with the ironwood trees are mesquite, paloverde, creosote and saguaro.
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Bike or hike along 182 miles of trails studded with the Mutt (saguaro) and Jeff (barrel) of cactuses.
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Sand and saguaro, coyote and stone, have as much or more claim on her empathy as any man or woman.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'saguaro.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Venture into the Arizonan desert on a May or June morning and you may see the saguaro in bloom. For many of our readers (such as those living in Arizona and southeastern California), this sight - and the word saguaro - won't be anything new. Or perhaps you know this emblem of all things Southwestern simply as the "giant cactus." The word saguaro originated in Ópata, a language spoken by peoples of the Sonoran Desert region of Mexico. It came into English by way of the Spanish spoken by the Mexican settlers of the American West. The very saguaros we see today may well have been around when the word was first noted, some 150 years ago - this amazing cactus can live for up to 200 years.
Illustration of saguaro
Origin and Etymology of saguaro
Mexican Spanish, probably from Ópata (Uto-Aztecan language of Sonora, Mexico)
SAGUARO Defined for Kids
saguaro
playDefinition of saguaro for Students
saguaros
: a giant cactus of the southwestern United States and Mexico
Learn More about saguaro
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See words that rhyme with saguaro Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about saguaro
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