prickly pear

noun

1

or prickly pear cactus : opuntia

especially : an opuntia with flattened, usually paddle-shaped, jointed stem segments compare cholla, nopal

2

or prickly pear fruit : the pulpy, pear- or egg-shaped, edible, yellow to purplish-red fruit of various prickly pears (such as Opuntia ficus-indica) see tuna entry 2

Illustration of prickly pear

• prickly pear 1

Examples of prickly pear in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This oil is chock-full of nourishing hair ingredients like moringa seed oil and prickly pear that work to add shine, calm frizz, and prevent breakage. —Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 20 Nov. 2024

An hour into the journey, canyon walls appeared on either side of the tracks and prickly pears with egglike fruits began to loom beneath my window. —Monisha Rajesh, Travel + Leisure, 20 Oct. 2024

Facts about the desert tortoise, prickly pear cacti and more lie waiting amid pages of arguments on ballot propositions. —Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 7 Oct. 2024

The ecosystem at the higher elevation there, with firs, pines, and even a few aspen, contrasts sharply with the spear-like sotol and prickly pear of the desert floor. —Pam Leblanc, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Jan. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1696, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

prickly pear

noun

1

: any of numerous cacti with spines and usually flat stem segments

2

: the pear-shaped sweet edible pulpy fruit of a prickly pear