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# cactus

noun (a cactus, cacti or cactuses)

«cactus» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

A cactus is a plant that grows in hot, dry places such as deserts, with a thick stem that stores water and usually sharp spines instead of leaves. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cactus/#m1)

### In the lessons

In science lessons cacti show adaptation: thick stems store water, spines protect them and lose less water than leaves, and long roots soak up rare rain. Phrases: «a prickly cactus», «cactus spines», «cactus flower».

### Examples

- A cactus can live in the desert for a long time without rain. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cactus/#x1)
- Don't touch the cactus; it's prickly! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cactus/#x2)
- My grandma has a cactus on her windowsill. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cactus/#x3)
- Some cacti have beautiful flowers. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cactus/#x4)
- The cactus stores water in its thick stem. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cactus/#x5)
- Camels can eat some cactus plants. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cactus/#x6)
- The tall saguaro cactus grows in Arizona. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cactus/#x7)

### Note

Plural: cacti (KAK-tie) or cactuses; both are correct. Myth: drinking water from a cactus is a good idea in the desert — most cactus juice makes you sick. Spines are sharp; handle with gloves.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «cactus» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/cactus/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«cactus» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/cactus.html) on Mova free.