cactus
/ˈkæktəs/
noun
Origin
Ancient Greek
κάκτος (kaktos) — a kind of prickly plant
Overview
Meaning Now
- A succulent plant with a thick, fleshy stem that typically bears spines, lacks leaves, and has adapted to survive in arid environments.
Literal older meaning
prickly plant
Language path
Ancient Greek → Latin → English
Earliest form
cactus
Earliest period
17th century
Journey
The term was originally used in Ancient Greek by Theophrastus for a specific spiny plant, likely a type of artichoke or cardoon. It was misapplied to the New World succulent plants by early botanists in the 17th and 18th centuries due to their spiny appearance, and the usage persisted in scientific nomenclature.
Evolution
- Ancient Greek
κάκτος (kaktos)
“a spiny plant, likely the cardoon”
Used by Theophrastus to describe a prickly plant native to Sicily.
- Latin
cactus
“a prickly plant”
Borrowed by Latin writers to refer to spiny plants.
- Modern English
cactus
“any member of the family Cactaceae”
Adopted by Linnaeus as a genus name and eventually applied to the whole family.
Connections
Word parts
cactus
root
spiny plant
Related across languages
French
cactus
Spanish
cacto
cactus
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Related to cactus
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.