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Definition of prickly pear cactus

prickly pear cactus

Plural:prickly pear cacti
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• noun

1

Any spiny, succulent desert plant of the genus Opuntia (family Cactaceae), native to the Americas, characterized by flattened, paddle-shaped stem segments (cladodes), sharp spines and fine barbed bristles (glochids), showy cup-shaped yellow, red, or purple flowers, and sweet, edible pear-shaped fruits.

Example

"Vibrant yellow blossoms opened along the top edges of the prickly pear cactus after the spring desert rain."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for prickly pear cactus

• Nearby Words

price
prickle poppy
prickleback
prickly pear cactus
primate
primogenitrix
primrose

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Prickly pear cactus. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 20, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/prickly%20pear%20cactus
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