Meaning & use
cactus
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Meaning
nouncountable
A plant that grows in dry areas and stores water in its thick stems, usually having sharp spines instead of leaves.
Grammar: Countable; plural is 'cacti' or 'cactuses'. Use 'a cactus' for one plant.
Patterns
- a cactus plant
- grow a cactus
- a cactus in the desert
- cactus flowers
The cactus in my garden bloomed with bright pink flowers.
Be careful not to touch the cactus; its spines are sharp.
Cactus plants are popular because they need very little water.
Word forms
| plural | cacti |
|---|---|
| plural | cactuses |
Common combinations
- desert cactus
- The desert cactus survives on almost no rain.
- cactus spine
- A cactus spine can easily pierce your skin.
- cactus flower
- The cactus flower opens only at night.
- prickly cactus
- That prickly cactus is best left alone.
- a potted cactus
- She bought a small potted cactus for her desk.
Word family
- cactaceous adjective
- Relating to the cactus family.
Commonly confused: cactus or succulent?
cactus vs succulent
Succulent is a broader term for any plant that stores water in its leaves or stems; all cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti.
Practice
Which sentence uses the correct plural form?
Choose one answer.
'Cactuses' is an accepted plural and agrees with 'are'. 'Cacti' is also correct, but 'cacti is' is wrong because 'cacti' is plural. 'Cactus are' and 'cactis' are incorrect forms.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “cactus”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.