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cactus

cactus

noun kak-TOOS Rare

Origin: Greek 'kaktos' (spiny plant)

Usage Note

Cactus is invariable in the plural — les cactus (not les cacti). In informal French, un cactus can mean a snag or problem — y a un cactus means 'there's a hitch.' The word is borrowed via Latin from Greek kaktos, a spiny plant.

Examples

"Son appartement est plein de cactus."

Natural Translation

His apartment is full of cacti.

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