cactus
Part of speech: noun
adj
Morphological type: simple
Topics: biology
botany
natural-sciences
Etymology: From taxonomic name Cactus, a name given in 1752 by Linnaeus for a genus of cacti (now superseded by the genus name Mammillaria), from Latin cactus, from Ancient Greek κάκτος (káktos, “cardoon”), possibly of Pre-Greek origin.
Inflected forms:
form: cacti
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: cactuses
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: cactusses
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: cactus
pos: noun
tags: plural
Senses:
gloss: Any member of the family Cactaceae, a family of flowering New World succulent plants suited to a hot, semi-desert climate.
pos: noun
examples: On the mountains a few junipers and piñons are found, and cactuses, agave, and yuccas, low, fleshy plants with bayonets and thorns.
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.
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.
gloss: Any succulent plant with a thick fleshy stem bearing spines but no leaves, such as euphorbs.
pos: noun
gloss: Non-functional, broken, exhausted, dead.
pos: adj
tags: Australia
New-Zealand
not-comparable
slang
examples: 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.
I would say it's cactus. Water conducts & destroys components & PCBs very easily. Hence the water-resistant phones.
‘It′s cactus,’ Rod, the helicopter pilot, said at the sound of the piston ring shattering.
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 words: cactaceous
cactal
cactiform
cactoid
Derived words: Aaron's beard cactus
Aaron's-beard cactus
agave cactus
apple cactus
applecactus
ball cactus
balloon cactus
barbed-wire cactus\
barrel cactus
barrel cactus virus
beehive cactus
bird's nest cactus
bunny ear cactus
bunny ears cactus
button cactus
cactus cat
cactus coral
cactus dahlia
cactus deermouse
cactus euphorbia
cactus fig
cactus geranium
Cactus League
cactuslike
cactus longhorn beetle
cactus mistletoe
cactus moth
cactus mouse
cactus pear
cactus silk
cactus stack
Cactus virus X
cactus woodpecker
cactus wren
cactusy
candle cactus
cane cactus
cathedral cactus
chin cactus
cholla cactus
Christmas cactus
cob cactus
cochineal cactus
compass cactus
crab cactus
creeping devil cactus
crown cactus
deerhorn cactus
dildo cactus
divine cactus
dumpling cactus
Easter cactus
fairy castle cactus
feather cactus
finger cactus
fishhook cactus
foxtail cactus
giant cactus
gold lace cactus
grape cactus
grizzly-bear cactus
hairbrush cactus
hatchet cactus
hedge cactus
hedgehog cactus
holiday cactus
horse crippler cactus
Jacob cactus
jointed cactus
jumping cactus
Knowlton's cactus
ladyfinger cactus (Mammillaria elongata,
large-flowered cactus
lava cactus
leaf cactus
melon cactus
midnight cactus
mistletoe cactus
moonlight cactus
nipple cactus
noncactus
old lady cactus
old-man cactus
orchid cactus
organ cactus
organ pipe cactus
peanut cactus
pencil cactus
Peruvian apple cactus
peyote cactus
pincushion cactus
pingpong ball cactus
pitahaya cactus Acanthocereus tetragonus
Acanthocereus pentagonus)
polka-dot cactus
prickly pear cactus
rabbit ears cactus
rainbow cactus
rattail cactus
redbird cactus
saguaro cactus
sea-urchin cactus
serpent cactus
silver cluster cactus
snake cactus
snowball cactus
star cactus
Steinbach's crown cactus (Rebutia steinbachii
strawberry cactus
Echinocereus enneacanthus)
Thanksgiving cactus
thimble cactus
tree cactus
vine cactus
willow cactus
willow-cactus
woodlouse cactus
Translations: