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Definition of nopal
nopal
/noʊˈpɑːl/
no · pal
Plural:nopales
nopal Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
9
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
nopal Game Scores & Validity
Scrabble US
Scrabble UK
WWF
Wordle Guess
• noun
1
North American The fleshy, oval pad of the prickly pear cactus, traditionally stripped of its spines and cooked as a vegetable in Mexican cuisine.
Example
"She prepared a traditional side dish by tossing grilled nopal with diced tomatoes, onions, and fresh cilantro."
2
North American A cactus of the genus Opuntia, native to Mexico and the Americas, characterized by flat, oval pads and commonly known as the prickly pear.
Example
"The arid hillside was dotted with nopal and other resilient desert vegetation."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for nopal• Rhymes for nopal
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed into English from Spanish 'nopal', which itself derives from the Classical Nahuatl word 'nohpalli', referring to the pads of the prickly pear cactus.
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Nopal. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 12, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/nopal