Cacti

/ˈkæktaɪ/ noun

Definition

Plural of cactus; desert plants with thick, fleshy stems and spines instead of leaves.

Etymology

From Greek 'kaktos,' which originally referred to a spiny plant. The word came through Latin into English and 'cacti' is the Latin plural, though 'cactuses' is also acceptable in modern English.

Kelly Says

English borrowed the plural 'cacti' from Latin, even though English normally doesn't use Latin plurals—this shows how much scientific vocabulary (especially for plants) came straight from the Latin of old botanists!

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