Word
cactus
Phoneticscac·tus
US/ˈkæktəs/
UK/kˈæktəs/
Definitions
01the desert plant
n. a plant with sharp spines and thick stems that can live in very dry places without much water.
n. any succulent plant of the family Cactaceae, native to the Americas and adapted to arid environments by storing water in fleshy stems.
“You should not water a cactus too often because it is used to dry soil.”
“The botanical garden features a diverse collection of cacti, ranging from tiny flowering species to the massive saguaro of the Sonoran Desert.”
Pitfall
I saw many cactuses in the desert.
I saw many cacti in the desert.
While 'cactuses' is acceptable, the Latin plural 'cacti' is very common and often preferred in formal or scientific contexts.
Synonyms
02broken or dead
adj. something that is broken, finished, or no longer working.
adj. describing an object that is non-functional or a person who is utterly exhausted.
“My old car is finally cactus; the engine won't even start anymore.”
“After hiking for twelve hours straight through the bush, the entire group was absolutely cactus.”
Informal · Dialect · Slang
Usage
Used as a predicate adjective, meaning it follows a verb like 'is' or 'looks'.
Teaching tip
This sense is specific to Australian and New Zealand English; using it elsewhere may cause confusion.
Antonyms