# cactus
## English
### Etymology

From Latin cactus, from Ancient Greek κάκτος (káktos, “cardoon”), possibly of Pre-Greek origin.

### Pronunciation

* (UK) IPA: /ˈkæktəs/, /ˈkæktʌs/
* (US) IPA: /ˈkæktəs/
* Audio (US):(file)
* Audio (General Australian):(file)

### Noun

cactus (plural cacti or cactuses or cactusses or cactus)
* (botany) Any member of the family Cactaceae, a family of flowering New World succulent plants suited to a hot, semi-desert climate.
** 1895, J[ohn] W[esley] Powell, chapter I, in Canyons of the Colorado, Meadville, PA: Flood & Vincent; republished as The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons, New York: Dover, 1961, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 22:On the mountains a few junipers and piñons are found, and cactuses, agave, and yuccas, low, fleshy plants with bayonets and thorns.
** 1960, A. K. Yegna Narayan Aiyer, P. Abraham, Cultivation of Cloves in India (I.C.A.R. Bulletin), New Delhi: Indian Council of Agricultural Research, →OCLC, page 5:This was another experimental garden started under Dr. Berry as a ‘Nopalry’ or place for the rearing of the cochineal insect on cacti, which however, became a sort of experimental garden where exotic plants were received as they arrived in the Port of Madras and were nursed and looked after until they could be despatched to the interior stations.
** 2013, Leslie Morgan Steiner, The Baby Chase:Three years later, the unwatered cactus was still about two feet tall, a dark green color. The watered cactus was a paler green, its trunk visibly swollen with moisture. It had grown to be over five feet tall.
* Any succulent plant with a thick fleshy stem bearing spines but no leaves, such as euphorbs.

#### Usage notes

In modern English, the term cactus properly refers to plants belonging to the family Cactaceae. With one exception, all are native to North and South America. The sole exception is Rhipsalis, a jungle epiphyte found in tropical Africa, Madagascar, and Sri Lanka, as well as North and South America. Informally, cactus is used to refer to any stem succulent adapted to a dry climate, notably species from genus Euphorbia with forms reminiscent of Cactaceae. These succulents are better described as "cactoid" or "cactiform" unless they are actual members of the Cactaceae.

#### Hypernyms

* (member of Cactaceae): succulent

#### Hyponyms

* (member of Cactaceae): nopal, saguaro

#### Derived terms

* Aaron's beard cactus, Aaron's-beard cactus (Opuntia leucotricha)
* agave cactus (Leuchtenbergia principis)
* apple cactus (Cereus repandus, Harrisia spp.)
* applecactus (Harrisia spp.)
* ball cactus (many species in several genera)
* balloon cactus (Parodia magnifica)
* barbed-wire cactus (Acanthocereus tetragonus)
* barrel cactus (Echinocactus spp., Ferocactus spp.)
* barrel cactus virus (Cactus virus X)
* beehive cactus (Coryphantha spp.)
* bird's nest cactus (Mammillaria spp.)
* bunny ear cactus, bunny ears cactus (Opuntia microdasys)
* button cactus (Epithelantha spp.)
* cactus cat
* cactus coral (Mussidae spp., Pavona cactus)
* cactus dahlia
* cactus deermouse (Peromyscus eremicus)
* cactus euphorbia (Euphorbia ingens)
* cactus fig (Opuntia spp.)
* cactus geranium (Pelargonium echinatum)
** Cactus League
* cactuslike
* cactus longhorn beetle (Moneilema spp.)
* cactus mistletoe
* cactus moth (Cactoblastis cactorum)
* cactus mouse (Peromyscus eremicus)
* cactus pear (Opuntia spp.)
* Cactus virus X
* cactus woodpecker (Dryobates scalaris cactophilus)
* cactus wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus)
* cactusy
* candle cactus, cane cactus (Opuntia spp.)
* cathedral cactus
* chin cactus (Gymnocalycium spp.)
* cholla cactus (Cylindropuntia spp.)
* Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera spp.)
* cob cactus (Echinocereus enneacanthus)
* cochineal cactus (Nopalea cochinellifera)
* compass cactus (Echinocactus spp., Ferocactus spp.)
* crab cactus (Schlumbergera truncata, syn. Zygocactus truncatus)
* creeping devil cactus (Stenocereus eruca, syn. Machaerocereus eruca)
* crown cactus (Rebutia spp.)
* deerhorn cactus (Peniocereus greggii)
* dildo cactus (Acanthocereus tetragonus)
* divine cactus (Lophophora williamsii)
* dumpling cactus (Lophophora williamsii)
* Easter cactus (Schlumbergera gaertneri)
* fairy castle cactus (Acanthocereus tetragonus)
* feather cactus (Mammillaria plumosa)
* finger cactus (Coryphantha sulcata)
* fishhook cactus (Mammillaria, Echinomastus, and Sclerocactus spp.)
* foxtail cactus (Escobaria spp.)
* giant cactus (Carnegiea gigantea)
* gold lace cactus (Mammillaria elongata)
* grape cactus
* grizzly-bear cactus (Opuntia erinacea)
* hairbrush cactus (Pachycereus pecten-aboriginum)
* hatchet cactus (Pelecyphora aselliformis)
* hedge cactus (Cereus repandus, Cereus hildmannianus, syn. Cereus peruvianus)
* hedgehog cactus (Pediocactus, Echinocereus, and Echinopsis spp.)
* holiday cactus (Schlumbergera spp.)
* horse crippler cactus (Echinocactus spp.)
* Jacob cactus (Fouquieria splendens)
* jointed cactus (Opuntia aurantiaca)
* jumping cactus (Cylindropuntia fulgida)
* Knowlton's cactus (Pediocactus knowltonii)
* ladyfinger cactus (Mammillaria elongata, (Echinocereus pentalophus)
* large-flowered cactus (species)
* lava cactus (Brachycereus nesioticus)
* leaf cactus (Epiphyllum spp., Pereskia spp.)
* melon cactus (Melocactus spp.)
* mistletoe cactus (Rhipsalis spp.)
* moonlight cactus (Harrisia spp.)
* nipple cactus (Mammillaria spp.)
* noncactus
* old lady cactus (Mammillaria hahniana)
* old-man cactus (Cephalocereus senilis)
* orchid cactus (Epiphyllum spp. and hybrids)
* organ cactus, organ pipe cactus (Stenocereus thurberi)
* organ pipe cactus (Stenocereus thurberi)
* peanut cactus (Chamaecereus silvestrii)
* pencil cactus (Euphorbia tirucalli, Cylindropuntia ramosissima)
* peyote cactus (Lophophora williamsii)
* pincushion cactus (Pelecyphora vivipara)
* pingpong ball cactus (Epithelantha bokei)
* pitahaya cactus Acanthocereus tetragonus, Acanthocereus pentagonus)
* polka-dot cactus (Opuntia microdasys)
* prickly pear cactus (Opuntia spp.)
* rabbit ears cactus (Opuntia microdasys)
* rainbow cactus (Echinocereus spp.)
* rattail cactus (Mammillaria pottsii)
* redbird cactus
* saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea)
* serpent cactus (Nyctocereus serpentinus)
* silver cluster cactus
* snake cactus (several species)
* snowball cactus (Mammilloydia candida)
* star cactus (Astrophytum asterias)
* Steinbach's crown cactus (Rebutia steinbachii
* strawberry cactus (Mammillaria dioica), Echinocereus enneacanthus)
* Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata, syn. Zygocactus truncatus)
* thimble cactus (Mammillaria gracilis)
* tree cactus (Pilosocereus spp., Carnegiea gigantea)
* vine cactus (Fouquieria splendens)
* willow cactus, willow-cactus (Rhipsalis spp.)
* woodlouse cactus (Pelecyphora aselliformis)

#### Related terms

* cactaceous
* cactal
* cactiform
* cactoid

#### Descendants

* → Welsh: cactws

#### Translations
### Adjective

cactus (not comparable)
* (Australia, New Zealand, slang) Non-functional, broken, exhausted, dead.
    Synonym: kaput
** 2001 July 8, Dave, “TV Problems”, in aus.electronics‎ (Usenet):I wouldn't mind throwing it away if it's cactus except for the VCR part which works fine, so then I'd be up for a new VCR as well.
** 2004 August 25, AC, “water damage ???”, in alt.cellular.nokia‎ (Usenet):I would say it's cactus. Water conducts & destroys components & PCBs very easily. Hence the water-resistant phones.
** 2009, Will Chaffey, Swimming with Crocodiles: An Australian Adventure‎, page 108:‘It′s cactus,’ Rod, the helicopter pilot, said at the sound of the piston ring shattering.
** 2018, “Fractured”, in Wentworth:Michael Armstrong: "Michael Armstrong, I represent Sonia Stevens." Sue "Boomer" Jenkins: "Oh, haven't you heard? She cactus." Armstrong "Yes, I realize that, and that's a terrible business.

#### Related terms

* cactused
* in the cactus

### See also

* succulent

### References

* ↑ The Chambers Dictionary, 9th Ed., 2003
* ↑ “cactus”, in Collins English Dictionary.
* ↑ “cactus”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
* ↑ “cactus”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, →ISBN.
* ↑ “cactus”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.

### Further reading

* Cactus in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)
* Cactus on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
* Category:Cactaceae on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons

## Asturian
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈkaktus/ [ˈkak.t̪us]

### Noun

cactus m (plural cactus)
* (botany) cactus (member of the Cactaceae)

## Catalan
### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin cactus, from Ancient Greek κάκτος (káktos, “cardoon”), of pre-Greek origin.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: (Central, Balearic, Valencia) [ˈkak.tus]

### Noun

cactus m (invariable)
* (botany) cactus (member of the Cactaceae)

### Further reading

* “cactus” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
* “cactus”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
* “cactus” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
* “cactus” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

## Dutch
### Alternative forms

* kaktus (superseded)

### Etymology

Borrowed from Latin cactus, from Ancient Greek κάκτος (káktos, “cardoon”), of pre-Greek origin.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈkɑk.tʏs/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: cac‧tus

### Noun

cactus m (plural cactussen, diminutive cactusje n)
* cactus, plant of the family Cactaceae
    Synonym: cactee

#### Derived terms

* cactusvijg
* lidcactus
* orgelpijpcactus
* vijgcactus

#### Descendants

* Afrikaans: kaktus
* → Indonesian: kaktus

## French
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /kak.tys/
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

cactus m (plural cactus)
* cactus

#### Descendants

* Turkish: kaktüs

### Further reading

* “cactus”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

## Italian
### Noun

cactus m (invariable)
* cactus

### Further reading

* cactus in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

### Anagrams

* stucca

## Latin
### Etymology

From Ancient Greek κάκτος (káktos, “cardoon”).

### Pronunciation

* (Classical Latin) IPA: /ˈkak.tus/, [ˈkäkt̪ʊs̠]
* (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA: /ˈkak.tus/, [ˈkäkt̪us]

### Noun

cactus m (genitive cactī); second declension
* cardoon (Cynara cardunculus)

#### Declension

Second-declension noun.

#### Descendants

* Translingual: Cactus
* → English: cactus
** → Welsh: cactws
* → Czech: kaktus
* → Italian: cactus
* → Greek: κάκτος (káktos)
* → Spanish: cacto
* → Sicilian: cactus
* → Galician: cacto
* → German: Kaktus
* → Portuguese: cato, cáctus, cacto

### References

* “cactus”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
* cactus in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from French cactus.

### Noun

cactus m (plural cactuși)
* cactus

#### Declension
## Spanish
### Etymology

From translingual Cactus.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈkaɡtus/ [ˈkaɣ̞.t̪us]
* Rhymes: -aɡtus
* Syllabification: cac‧tus

### Noun

cactus m (plural cactus)
* Alternative form of cacto

#### Derived terms

* cactus órgano

### References

* ↑ “cactus”, in Diccionario panhispánico de dudas [Panhispanic Dictionary of Doubts] (in Spanish), 2nd edition, Royal Spanish Academy; Association of Academies of the Spanish Language, 2023, →ISBN

### Further reading

* “cactus”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10