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Where does the word "cactus" come from? It comes from Greek kaktos, and was adopted directly into English (1600s).
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Where does the word "cactus" come from? It comes from Greek kaktos, and was adopted directly into English (1600s).
Cactus’s story begins in Greek: kaktos meant “prickly plant.” Greek, the cardoon of Sicily. It reached English by 1600s as cactus. Linnaeus applied it to American cacti in 1753. Today, cactus means a succulent plant with spines.
- Stage 1 · Greek · ancient kaktos "prickly plant", Greek, the cardoon of Sicily.
- Stage 2 · English · 1600s cactus "prickly plant", Linnaeus applied it to American cacti in 1753.