cactus | meaning of cactus in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English | LDOCE

From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary EnglishPlantscactuscac‧tus /ˈkæktəs/ noun (plural cacti /-taɪ/ or cactuses) [countable]     HBPa desert plant with sharp points instead of leavesExamples from the Corpuscactus• It is a perfect location for a cactus.• But once in place, a cactus is unlikely to remain a solitary specimen for long.• Such glass fittings include mixing coils and cactus fittings.• If he were a plant, he'd be an exotic cactus.• So are the other varieties of native cactus and most of the desert trees.• Clearly, the cactus never dies out completely, nor do the moths.• As for water, that would come in minute drops from the cactus.Origin cactus (1700-1800) Latin thistle-like plant, from Greek kaktos