crab cactus
- noun
- /kræb ˈkæktəs/
:
cactus de Navidad
- The crab cactus is prized for its vibrant red flowers during the holiday season.
Examples
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With proper care, a crab cactus can bloom spectacularly year after year.
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My grandmother keeps a large crab cactus in her living room window.
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I bought a beautiful crab cactus yesterday.
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The crab cacti bloom in vibrant red flowers.
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My grandmother keeps a large crab cactus in her living room window.
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The crab cactus is prized for its vibrant red flowers during the holiday season.
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With proper care, a crab cactus can bloom spectacularly year after year.
Synonyms
69
1.8
A plant with thick stems that store water and sharp points, often in dry places
A houseplant cactus with flat joined stems and red flowers that blooms in winter
A South American cactus with flat stem sections and bright pink or red flowers kept indoors
A South American cactus that people grow indoors with flat stems and bright tube-shaped flowers
A South American cactus with jointed stems and red flowers that blooms around Thanksgiving
A South American cactus grown as a houseplant with coral-red spring flowers
A South American cactus that flowers in spring with flat stems and bright pink or red flowers often grown indoors
Surface Forms
Morphology
crab + cactus
The compound is a straightforward noun–noun combination: a B1 learner who knows 'crab' and 'cactus' will readily infer it denotes a kind or variety of cactus associated in some way with a crab (e.g., by shape or common name). This follows common cross-linguistic naming patterns where animal names modify plant names, so the overall meaning as a type of cactus is transparently derivable from its parts.
Etymology
The plant name crab cactus may come from the way its flat, jointed stems spread sideways like a crab's legs. That's why crab cactus refers to the common houseplant with those joined stems and bright red flowers.