fishhook cactus

noun

1. a large cactus, Ferocactus wislizenii, of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico, having hooked spines and red or yellow flowers.

Word History and Origins

Origin of fishhook cactus¹

An Americanism dating back to 1845–50

Example Sentences

Billowing white clouds drifted off burnt-brown hills bristling with branched and twisted Joshua trees and fishhook cactus.

From Los Angeles Times

The eighth day we ran out of the fishhook cactus, and, being on a high promontory, were out of touch with the sea.

From Project Gutenberg

Perhaps the fishhook cactus had helped.

From Project Gutenberg

About this time Denton ran across some fishhook cactus, which we cut up and chewed.

From Project Gutenberg

Just at sundown we took another wallow in the surf, and chewed some more fishhook cactus.

From Project Gutenberg