cactus

See also: Cactus and cáctus

English

Saguaro cactus (Ansel Adams, 1941)

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈkæktəs/, /ˈkæktʊs/
  • Audio (US)(file)

Noun

cactus (plural cacti or cactuses or cactus)

  1. (botany) Any member of the family Cactaceae, a family of flowering New World succulent plants suited to a hot, semi-desert climate.
  2. Any succulent plant with a thick fleshy stem bearing spines but no leaves, including 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 the New World (the Americas). 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. To be precise, these succulents are correctly described as "cactoid" or "cactiform" unless they are actual members of the Cactaceae.

Hypernyms

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Descendants

Translations

Adjective

cactus (not comparable)

  1. (Australia, New Zealand, slang) Non-functional, broken, exhausted.
    • 2018 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.
    • 2018 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.

See also

Asturian

Noun

cactus m (plural cactus)

  1. (botany) cactus (member of the Cactaceae)

Dutch

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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

Noun

cactus m (plural cactussen, diminutive cactusje n)

  1. cactus

Derived terms

French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /kak.tys/
  • Audio(file)

Noun

cactus m (plural cactus)

  1. cactus

Further reading

Italian

Noun

cactus m (invariable)

  1. cactus

Anagrams

Latin

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

  • (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈkak.tus/, [ˈkak.tʊs]

Noun

cactus m (genitive cactī); second declension

  1. the cardoon, Cynara cardunculus

Inflection

Second declension.

Case Singular Plural
nominative cactus cactī
genitive cactī cactōrum
dative cactō cactīs
accusative cactum cactōs
ablative cactō cactīs
vocative cacte cactī

Descendants

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

Spanish

Etymology

See cacto.

Noun

cactus m (plural cactus)

  1. Alternative form of cacto
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