HOW TO PRONOUNCE
cactus
/ˈkæktəs/
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American Pronunciation Guide · 0:47
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What does cactus mean?
noun
- 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.
- A vivid green color inspired by the color of cacti.
More meanings (3)
adjective
- (slang) Non-functional, broken, exhausted, dead.
proper noun
- A city in Texas.
- An unincorporated community in California.
Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0
IPA pronunciation
/ˈkæktəs/
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.
In the pages of books
See this word in context.
They are covered thinly with buff grass, the withered stalks of flowers, Spanish bayonet, and a small beehive-shaped cactus.
The cylindric cactus, which bordered the road, gave the landscape an appearance of verdure, without affording either coolness or shade.
More book examples (3)
“Cactus spines. Didn’t I tell you when I grabbed the cactus? I thought it was a root. Are we going straight?”
The nineteen forms of CORYPHANTHA are decidedly more northern in their distribution, and are our characteristic representatives of the genus Cactus.
The cactus tree, like the eastern forest tree, is often found bored full of round, holes that are made by the Gila woodpecker.