cactus
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈkæktəs/
ipa: /ˈkæktʌs/
ipa: /ˈkæktəs/
Forms: form: cacti
form: cactuses
form: cactusses
form: cactus
Etymology: From taxonomic name Cactus, a name given in 1752 by Linnaeus for a genus of cacti (now superseded by the genus name Mammillaria), from Latin cactus, from Ancient Greek κάκτος (káktos, “cardoon”), possibly of Pre-Greek origin.
Senses: examples: text: On the mountains a few junipers and piñons are found, and cactuses, agave, and yuccas, low, fleshy plants with bayonets and thorns.
ref: 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:
text: 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.
ref: 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:
text: 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.
ref: 2013, Leslie Morgan Steiner, The Baby Chase:
topics: biology
botany
natural-sciences
glosses: Any member of the family Cactaceae, a family of flowering New World succulent plants suited to a hot, semi-desert climate.
glosses: Any succulent plant with a thick fleshy stem bearing spines but no leaves, such as euphorbs.
Hypernyms: sense: member of Cactaceae
word: succulent
Hyponyms: sense: member of Cactaceae
word: nopal
sense: member of Cactaceae
word: saguaro
Derived terms: word: Aaron's beard cactus
taxonomic: Opuntia leucotricha
word: Aaron's-beard cactus
taxonomic: Leuchtenbergia principis
word: agave cactus
taxonomic: Harrisia spp.
word: apple cactus
taxonomic: Harrisia spp.
word: applecactus
english: many species in several genera
translation: many species in several genera
word: ball cactus
taxonomic: Parodia magnifica
word: balloon cactus
taxonomic: Acanthocereus tetragonus
word: barbed-wire cactus\
taxonomic: Ferocactus spp.
word: barrel cactus
taxonomic: Cactus virus X
word: barrel cactus virus
taxonomic: Coryphantha spp.
word: beehive cactus
taxonomic: Mammillaria spp.
word: bird's nest cactus
word: bunny ear cactus
taxonomic: Opuntia microdasys
word: bunny ears cactus
taxonomic: Epithelantha spp.
word: button cactus
word: cactus cat
taxonomic: Pavona cactus
word: cactus coral
word: cactus dahlia
taxonomic: Peromyscus eremicus
word: cactus deermouse
taxonomic: Euphorbia ingens
word: cactus euphorbia
taxonomic: Opuntia spp.
word: cactus fig
taxonomic: Pelargonium echinatum
word: cactus geranium
word: Cactus League
word: cactuslike
taxonomic: Moneilema spp.
word: cactus longhorn beetle
word: cactus mistletoe
taxonomic: Cactoblastis cactorum
word: cactus moth
taxonomic: Peromyscus eremicus
word: cactus mouse
taxonomic: Opuntia spp.
word: cactus pear
word: cactus stack
word: Cactus virus X
taxonomic: Dryobates scalaris cactophilus
word: cactus woodpecker
taxonomic: Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus
word: cactus wren
word: cactusy
word: candle cactus
taxonomic: Opuntia spp.
word: cane cactus
word: cathedral cactus
taxonomic: Gymnocalycium spp.
word: chin cactus
taxonomic: Cylindropuntia spp.
word: cholla cactus
taxonomic: Schlumbergera spp.
word: Christmas cactus
taxonomic: Echinocereus enneacanthus
word: cob cactus
alt: Nopalea cochinellifera
word: cochineal cactus
taxonomic: Ferocactus spp.
word: compass cactus
taxonomic: Schlumbergera truncata
alt: syn. Zygocactus truncatus
word: crab cactus
taxonomic: Stenocereus eruca
alt: syn. Machaerocereus eruca
word: creeping devil cactus
taxonomic: Rebutia spp.
word: crown cactus
taxonomic: Peniocereus greggii
word: deerhorn cactus
taxonomic: Acanthocereus tetragonus
word: dildo cactus
taxonomic: Lophophora williamsii
word: divine cactus
taxonomic: Lophophora williamsii
word: dumpling cactus
taxonomic: Schlumbergera gaertneri
word: Easter cactus
taxonomic: Acanthocereus tetragonus
word: fairy castle cactus
taxonomic: Mammillaria plumosa
word: feather cactus
taxonomic: Coryphantha sulcata
word: finger cactus
english: Mammillaria, Echinomastus, and Sclerocactus spp.
translation: Mammillaria, Echinomastus, and Sclerocactus spp.
word: fishhook cactus
taxonomic: Escobaria spp.
word: foxtail cactus
taxonomic: Carnegiea gigantea
word: giant cactus
taxonomic: Mammillaria elongata
word: gold lace cactus
word: grape cactus
taxonomic: Opuntia erinacea
word: grizzly-bear cactus
taxonomic: Pachycereus pecten-aboriginum
word: hairbrush cactus
taxonomic: Pelecyphora aselliformis
word: hatchet cactus
taxonomic: Cereus hildmannianus
alt: syn. Cereus peruvianus
word: hedge cactus
english: Pediocactus, Echinocereus, and Echinopsis spp.
translation: Pediocactus, Echinocereus, and Echinopsis spp.
word: hedgehog cactus
taxonomic: Schlumbergera spp.
word: holiday cactus
taxonomic: Echinocactus spp.
word: horse crippler cactus
taxonomic: Fouquieria splendens
word: Jacob cactus
taxonomic: Opuntia aurantiaca
word: jointed cactus
taxonomic: Cylindropuntia fulgida
word: jumping cactus
taxonomic: Pediocactus knowltonii
word: Knowlton's cactus
taxonomic: Echinocereus pentalophus
word: ladyfinger cactus (Mammillaria elongata,
english: species
translation: species
word: large-flowered cactus
taxonomic: Brachycereus nesioticus
word: lava cactus
taxonomic: Pereskia spp.
word: leaf cactus
taxonomic: Melocactus spp.
word: melon cactus
taxonomic: Rhipsalis spp.
word: mistletoe cactus
taxonomic: Harrisia spp.
word: moonlight cactus
taxonomic: Mammillaria spp.
word: nipple cactus
word: noncactus
taxonomic: Mammillaria hahniana
word: old lady cactus
taxonomic: Cephalocereus senilis
word: old-man cactus
taxonomic: Epiphyllum spp. and hybrids
word: orchid cactus
word: organ cactus
taxonomic: Stenocereus thurberi
word: organ pipe cactus
taxonomic: Chamaecereus silvestrii
word: peanut cactus
taxonomic: Cylindropuntia ramosissima
word: pencil cactus
word: Peruvian apple cactus
taxonomic: Lophophora williamsii
word: peyote cactus
taxonomic: Pelecyphora vivipara
word: pincushion cactus
taxonomic: Epithelantha bokei
word: pingpong ball cactus
word: pitahaya cactus Acanthocereus tetragonus
word: Acanthocereus pentagonus)
taxonomic: Opuntia microdasys
word: polka-dot cactus
taxonomic: Opuntia spp.
word: prickly pear cactus
taxonomic: Opuntia microdasys
word: rabbit ears cactus
taxonomic: Echinocereus spp.
word: rainbow cactus
taxonomic: Mammillaria pottsii
word: rattail cactus
word: redbird cactus
taxonomic: Carnegiea gigantea
word: saguaro cactus
word: sea-urchin cactus
taxonomic: Nyctocereus serpentinus
word: serpent cactus
word: silver cluster cactus
english: several species
translation: several species
word: snake cactus
taxonomic: Mammilloydia candida
word: snowball cactus
taxonomic: Astrophytum asterias
word: star cactus
word: Steinbach's crown cactus (Rebutia steinbachii
taxonomic: Mammillaria dioica
word: strawberry cactus
word: Echinocereus enneacanthus)
taxonomic: Schlumbergera truncata
alt: syn. Zygocactus truncatus
word: Thanksgiving cactus
taxonomic: Mammillaria gracilis
word: thimble cactus
taxonomic: Carnegiea gigantea
word: tree cactus
taxonomic: Fouquieria splendens
word: vine cactus
word: willow cactus
taxonomic: Rhipsalis spp.
word: willow-cactus
taxonomic: Pelecyphora aselliformis
word: woodlouse cactus
Related terms: cactaceous
cactal
cactiform
cactoid