Translingual

Wikispecies

Etymology

From Latin cactus ‎(“a spiny plant, possibly the cardoon”), from Ancient Greek κάκτος ‎(káktos)

Proper noun

Cactus m

1. (archaic) A taxonomic genus within the family Cactaceae – original Linnean genus of cactus, rejected in 1905.

English

Proper noun

Cactus

1. A city in Texas.
2. An unincorporated community in California.

English

Saguaro cactus (Ansel Adams, 1941)

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

• (member of Cactaceae): succulent

Hyponyms

• (member of Cactaceae): nopal, saguaro

Related terms

• cactaceous
• cactal
• cactoid

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

cactus ‎(not comparable)

1. (Australia, New Zealand, slang) Non-functional, broken, exhausted.
   • 2016 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.

   • 2016 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

• succulent
• Cactus on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Cactaceae on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons

Asturian

Noun

cactus m ‎(plural cactus)

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

Dutch

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: cac‧tus

Etymology

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

Noun

cactus m ‎(plural cactussen, diminutive cactusje n)

1. cactus

French

Pronunciation

Noun

cactus m ‎(plural cactus)

1. cactus

Italian

Noun

cactus m ‎(invariable)

1. cactus

Anagrams

• stucca

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.

Descendants

• Translingual: Cactus

References

• cactus in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• Félix Gaffiot (1934), “cactus”, in Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Paris: Hachette.

Spanish

Etymology

See cacto.

Noun

cactus m ‎(plural cactus)

1. Alternative form of cacto