Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A genus of cactaceous plants, globose or oval, and sometimes gigantic, strongly ribbed, or with tubercles in vertical or spiral rows.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun any cactus of the genus Echinocactus; strongly ribbed and very spiny; southwestern United States to Brazil
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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The echinocactus, or bisnaga, is also called "The Well of the Desert."
Arizona Sketches 1887
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Francois said he _had_ noticed it a little before; but it had only slightly arrested his attention, as he supposed it to be a tuft of the dry grass or a globe-cactus (_echinocactus_) -- a species of which they had seen much of late, and to which it bore a considerable resemblance.
The Boy Hunters Mayne Reid 1850
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Mezquite, juniper, and "black-jack" oaks grow in groves or spinneys; while standing apart may be observed the arborescent jucca -- the "dragon-tree" of the Western world, towering above an underwood unlike any other, composed of _cactaceae_ in all the varieties of cereus, cactus, and echinocactus.
The Death Shot A Story Retold Mayne Reid 1850
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