cactus
UK[ˈkæktəs]US[ˈkæktəs]
n
A plant that grows in hot, dry regions, especially deserts, and has a thick stem for storing water and usually spines but no leaves.
Etymology
The journey of 'cactus' begins in Ancient Greece, where 'kaktos' was the name for a prickly plant, likely a type of thistle. Latin adopted this term directly as 'cactus' to refer to similar spiny flora. When European explorers encountered the spiny, succulent New World plants in the 16th century, the familiar classical name was applied to this new botanical family. Thus, the modern meaning evolved from a general ancient term for a prickly plant to the specific scientific and common name for members of the family Cactaceae, retaining the core semantic link of a plant with spines.
Analysis
The word 'cactus' is a simplex loanword. It is a direct borrowing from Latin, where it referred to a cardoon or a spiky plant. The Latin term was itself borrowed from Ancient Greek 'kaktos', which originally denoted a spiky plant, possibly a species of thistle.
Examples
The saguaro cactus is a iconic symbol of the American Southwest.
Be careful not to touch the cactus; its spines are very sharp.
Some species of cactus produce beautiful, brightly colored flowers.