Illustration of saguaro
plural 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
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.
Examples of saguaro in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Treat it like a desert-dwelling saguaro, and your holiday cactus will protest.
—
Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Apr. 2026
The video is backed by a booming soundtrack, composed by Pascal Wyse, largely using materials found in the desert such as saguaro spines.
—Alina Hartounian, NPR, 20 Apr. 2026
The one-mile loop is located in the East District and features educational signs informing visitors about the area’s history and flora, an old homestead foundation, and a saguaro grove.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2026
Originally introduced from the African continent for erosion control and as livestock forage, now this species is imperiling Arizona’s beloved saguaro cactuses, palo verde and summer wildflowers, transforming swaths of the Sonoran Desert into a grassland monoculture.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
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Leanne Potts, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Apr. 2026
The video is backed by a booming soundtrack, composed by Pascal Wyse, largely using materials found in the desert such as saguaro spines.
—Alina Hartounian, NPR, 20 Apr. 2026
The one-mile loop is located in the East District and features educational signs informing visitors about the area’s history and flora, an old homestead foundation, and a saguaro grove.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 9 Apr. 2026
Originally introduced from the African continent for erosion control and as livestock forage, now this species is imperiling Arizona’s beloved saguaro cactuses, palo verde and summer wildflowers, transforming swaths of the Sonoran Desert into a grassland monoculture.
—Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for saguaro
Cite this Entry
“Saguaro.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saguaro. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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