Wiktionary

cactus

See also: Cactus and cáctus

English edit

 
Saguaro cactus (Ansel Adams, 1941)

Etymology edit

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

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

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 edit

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 edit

Hyponyms edit

Derived terms edit

Derived terms

Related terms edit

Descendants edit

  • → Welsh: cactws

Translations edit

Adjective edit

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.

Related terms edit

See also edit

References edit

  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 edit

Asturian edit

Pronunciation edit

  • IPA(key): /ˈkaɡtus/, [ˈkaɣ̞.t̪us]

Noun edit

cactus m (plural cactus)

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

Catalan edit

Etymology edit

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

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

cactus m (invariable)

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

Further reading edit

Dutch edit

 
Dutch Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia nl

Alternative forms edit

Etymology edit

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

Pronunciation edit

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

Noun edit

cactus m (plural cactussen, diminutive cactusje n)

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

Derived terms edit

Descendants edit

French edit

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

cactus m (plural cactus)

  1. cactus

Descendants edit

Further reading edit

Italian edit

Noun edit

cactus m (invariable)

  1. cactus

Further reading edit

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

Anagrams edit

Latin edit

Etymology edit

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

Pronunciation edit

Noun edit

cactus m (genitive cactī); second declension

  1. the cardoon, Cynara cardunculus

Declension edit

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 edit

References edit

  • “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 edit

Etymology edit

Borrowed from French cactus.

Noun edit

cactus m (plural cactuși)

  1. cactus

Declension edit

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 edit

Etymology edit

From translingual Cactus.[1]

Pronunciation edit

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

Noun edit

cactus m (plural cactus)

  1. Alternative form of cacto

Derived terms edit

References edit

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

Further reading edit

Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=cactus&oldid=78918268"