A cactus is a type of plant that stores water inside its thick stems. It has sharp spines instead of leaves and lives in dry places like the desert.
The cactus grows well in the desert.
I have a small cactus on my desk.
Calling someone a cactus means they are not friendly or easy to talk to. They may seem sharp or unfriendly to others.
He is a cactus; hard to talk with.
She can be a cactus sometimes.
Cactus can also mean a rough type of cloth or fabric used in making clothes or decorations. This use is less common but found in some craft or fashion areas.
The jacket is made of cactus cloth.
Cactus fabric feels rough on skin.
Sometimes, 'cactus' is used metaphorically to talk about a problem or situation that is hard or uncomfortable. It means something difficult to handle.
The new work schedule is a cactus to manage.
This math problem is a real cactus for me.
In Australian English, cactus means something is completely broken or stopped working. People say this when a machine or object no longer functions.
My phone is cactus; it won't turn on.
The car is cactus after the crash.
To cactus something means it stopped working or broke down suddenly. It is informal and mainly used in British English.
The old engine cactused yesterday.
His phone cactused last night.
Some cacti produce fruit that people can eat. This fruit is called a cactus fruit or prickly pear and can be sweet and juicy.
We ate sweet cactus fruit at lunch.
Cactus fruit tastes like a pear.
