noun
pl. -·tuses or -·ti·Origin of cactus
Modern Latin from Classical Greek kaktos, kind of thistle, cardoon
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noun
pl. cac·ti, or cac·tus·esOrigin of cactus
Latin cardoon from Greek kaktos
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(plural cacti or cactuses or cactus)
cactus properly refers to plants belonging to the family Cactaceae. With one exception, all are native to the New World (the Americas). 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. To be precise, these succulents are correctly described as "cactoid" or "cactiform" unless they are actual members of the Cactaceae.
(not comparable)
From Latin cactus (“a spiny plant, possibly the cardoon”), from Ancient Greek κάκτος (kaktos)
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