Definition of "opuntia" [opuntia]

• Any of various cacti of the genus Opuntia, especially the prickly pear. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Another kind of opuntia fruit, this one tastes sour and is used as a seasoning in certain meat stews, especially mole de olla."
• "It's hard to tell because of the lush growth, but this is actually wall planted with all sorts of horticultural delights: even an opuntia!"
• "Coastal wetlands are also characteristic of this ecoregion, and near the first foothills of the western range there are some arid, rocky scrublands with abrupt relief, where columnar, candelabra and opuntia cacti typically grow."