/chohl"yah, -yeuh/ ; Sp. /chaw"yah/ , n. , pl. chollas /chohl"yahz, -yeuhz/ ; Sp. /chaw"yahs/ .
any of several spiny treelike cacti belonging to the genus Opuntia, esp. O. fulgida of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico, having knobby outgrowths and yellow spines.
[ 1855-60, Amer.; cholla head (perh. cholle ball 1 ]