cereus
UK[ˈsɪəriəs]US[ˈsɪriəs]
n
Any of a genus (Cereus) of cacti, typically having tall, columnar, ribbed stems and large, usually white, night-blooming flowers.
Morpheme Breakdown
cere
us
cere
wax
us
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'cereus' is a modern Latin term adopted directly into botanical nomenclature. It originates from the classical Latin adjective 'cēreus', meaning 'waxy' or 'of wax', which itself derives from the noun 'cēra' (wax). This name was applied to this genus of cacti due to the waxy appearance of their stems and flowers. The logic of the name thus connects the physical, wax-like texture of the plant observed by botanists to the ancient Latin substance from which it draws its descriptive term.
Analysis
Structure: cere (wax) + us (noun suffix)
cere (from Latin 'cēra', meaning wax); us (a Latin masculine noun suffix used in taxonomic names).
Examples
The night-blooming cereus opened its magnificent flowers just after dusk.
The saguaro is perhaps the most iconic and massive species of cereus.
Her garden featured a large cereus cactus that bloomed only once a year.