Wiktionary

cactus

See also: Cactus and cáctus

English

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Saguaro cactus (Ansel Adams, 1941)

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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Noun

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cactus (plural cacti or cactuses or cactusses 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, such as euphorbs.

Usage notes

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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

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Hyponyms

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Derived terms

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Derived terms
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Descendants

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  • → Welsh: cactws

Translations

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Adjective

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cactus (not comparable)

  1. (Australia, New Zealand, slang) Non-functional, broken, exhausted, dead.
    Synonym: kaput
    • 2001 July 8, Dave, “TV Problems”, in aus.electronics‎[1] (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[2] (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[3], 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.
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See also

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References

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

Further reading

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Asturian

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈkaɡtus/, [ˈkaɣ̞.t̪us]

Noun

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cactus m (plural cactus)

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

Catalan

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Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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Noun

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cactus m (invariable)

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

Further reading

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Dutch

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Dutch Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia nl

Alternative forms

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Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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

Noun

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cactus m (plural cactussen, diminutive cactusje n)

  1. [[]]cactus, plant of the family Cactaceae
    Synonym: cactee

Derived terms

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Descendants

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French

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Pronunciation

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Noun

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cactus m (plural cactus)

  1. cactus

Descendants

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Further reading

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Italian

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Noun

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cactus m (invariable)

  1. cactus

Further reading

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

Anagrams

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Latin

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Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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Noun

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cactus m (genitive cactī); second declension

  1. the cardoon, Cynara cardunculus

Declension

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Second-declension noun.

Case Singular Plural
Nominative cactus cactī
Genitive cactī cactōrum
Dative cactō cactīs
Accusative cactum cactōs
Ablative cactō cactīs
Vocative cacte cactī

Descendants

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References

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  • “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

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Etymology

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Borrowed from French cactus.

Noun

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cactus m (plural cactuși)

  1. cactus

Declension

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Declension of cactus
singular plural
indefinite articulation definite articulation indefinite articulation definite articulation
nominative/accusative (un) cactus cactusul (niște) cactuși cactușii
genitive/dative (unui) cactus cactusului (unor) cactuși cactușilor
vocative cactusule cactușilor

Spanish

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Etymology

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From translingual Cactus.[1]

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈkaɡtus/ [ˈkaɣ̞.t̪us]
  • Rhymes: -aɡtus
  • Syllabification: cac‧tus

Noun

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cactus m (plural cactus)

  1. Alternative form of cacto

Derived terms

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References

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  1. ^ “cactus” in Diccionario panhispánico de dudas, segunda edición, Real Academia Española, 2023. →ISBN

Further reading

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