Function: noun
Etymology: from its annual blooming around Christmastime
Date: circa 1900
: a branching Brazilian cactus ( Schlumbergera bridgesii syn. S. buckleyi ) having flat jointed stems with scalloped margins and showy usually red, pink, white, violet, or yellow flowers also : a related cactus ( Schlumbergera truncata syn. Zygocactus truncatus ) or a hybrid of this and the Christmas cactus