cactus

== English == === Etymology === From taxonomic name Cactus, a name given in 1752 by Linnaeus for a genus of cacti (now superseded by the genus name Mammillaria), from Latin cactus, from Ancient Greek κάκτος (káktos, “cardoon”), possibly of Pre-Greek origin. === Pronunciation === (UK) IPA(key): /ˈkæktəs/, /ˈkæktʌs/ (US) IPA(key): /ˈkæktəs/ Rhymes: -æktəs === 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. 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 ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== → Welsh: cactws ==== Translations ==== === Adjective === cactus (not comparable) (Australia, New Zealand, slang) Non-functional, broken, exhausted, dead. Synonym: kaput ==== Related terms ==== === See also === succulent === References === === Further reading === Cactus in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911) Cactus on Wikipedia.Wikipedia Category:Cactaceae on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons == Asturian == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈkaktus/ [ˈkak.t̪us] Rhymes: -aktus Syllabification: cac‧tus === Noun === cactus m (plural cactus) (botany) cactus (member of the Cactaceae) === Further reading === “cactus”, in Diccionariu de la llingua asturiana [Dictionary of the Asturian Language] (in Asturian), 1st edition, Academy of the Asturian Language [Asturian: Academia de la Llingua Asturiana], 2000, →ISBN == Catalan == === Etymology === Borrowed from Latin cactus, from Ancient Greek κάκτος (káktos, “cardoon”), of pre-Greek origin. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): (Northern, Balearic, Central, Valencia, Northwestern) [ˈkak.tus] === Noun === cactus m (invariable) (botany) cactus (member of the Cactaceae) === Further reading === “cactus”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007 “cactus”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026 “cactus” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua. Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “cactus”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan) == Dutch == === Alternative forms === kaktus (superseded) === Etymology === Borrowed from Latin cactus, from Ancient Greek κάκτος (káktos, “cardoon”), of pre-Greek origin. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈkɑk.tʏs/ Hyphenation: cac‧tus === Noun === cactus m (plural cactussen, diminutive cactusje n) cactus, plant of the family Cactaceae Synonym: cactee ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== Afrikaans: kaktus → Indonesian: kaktus == French == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /kak.tys/ === Noun === cactus m (invariable) 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 === Borrowed from Ancient Greek κάκτος (káktos, “cardoon”). === Pronunciation === (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [ˈkak.tʊs] (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [ˈkak.tus] === Noun === cactus m (genitive cactī); second declension cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) ==== Declension ==== Second-declension noun. ==== Descendants ==== → Translingual: Cactus (learned)→ Czech: kaktus→ English: cactus→ Welsh: cactws→ Galician: cacto→ German: Kaktus→ Greek: κάκτος (káktos)→ Italian: cactus→ Portuguese: cato, cacto (Brazil), cáctus→ Sicilian: cactus→ Spanish: 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(key): /ˈkaɡtus/ [ˈkaɣ̞.t̪us] Rhymes: -aɡtus Syllabification: cac‧tus === Noun === cactus m (plural cactus) alternative form of cacto ==== Derived terms ==== === References === === Further reading === “cactus”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025