Word Study
nopal
WORDNET DICTIONARY
Noun nopal has 2 senses
- nopal(n = noun.plant) opuntia lindheimeri - cactus having yellow flowers and purple fruits; Array is a kind of prickly pear, prickly pear cactus
- nopal(n = noun.plant) Array - any of several cacti of the genus Nopalea resembling prickly pears; Array is a kind of cactus
is a member of genus nopalea, nopalea
CIDE DICTIONARY
nopal, n. [Mexican nopalli.].
A cactaceous plant (Nopalea cochinellifera ), originally Mexican, on which the cochineal insect feeds, and from which it is collected. The name is sometimes given to other species of Cactaceæ . [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
nopal, n. any American cactus of the genus Nopalea, esp. N. cochinellifera grown in plantations for breeding cochineal.
Etymology
F & Sp. f. Nahuatl nopalli cactus
For further exploring for "nopal" in Webster Dictionary Online
