/ ˈkæktəs; NAmE / noun
( pl. cac·tuses or cacti / ˈkæktaɪ; NAmE /) a plant that grows in hot dry regions, especially one with thick stems covered in spines but without leaves. There are many different types of cactus.
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WORD ORIGIN
early 17th cent.: from Latin , from Greek kaktos cardoon (a tall plant with leaves and roots that can be eaten as a vegetable).