saguaro

noun

sa·​gua·​ro sə-ˈwär-ə How to pronounce saguaro (audio)
-ˈgwär-,
-ō How to pronounce saguaro (audio)
plural saguaros
: a tall columnar usually sparsely-branched cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) of dry areas of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico that bears white flowers and a scaly reddish edible fruit and that may attain a height of up to 50 feet (16 meters)

called also giant cactus

Illustration of saguaro

Illustration of saguaro

Did you know?

Venture into the Arizonan desert on a May or June morning and you may see the saguaro in bloom. For many of our readers (such as those living in Arizona and southeastern California), this sight - and the word saguaro - won't be anything new. Or perhaps you know this emblem of all things Southwestern simply as the "giant cactus." The word saguaro originated in Ópata, a language spoken by peoples of the Sonoran Desert region of Mexico. It came into English by way of the Spanish spoken by the Mexican settlers of the American West. The very saguaros we see today may well have been around when the word was first noted, some 150 years ago - this amazing cactus can live for up to 200 years.

Examples of saguaro in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Nor is the saguaro forest in the desert disappearing, despite concerns for the species’ health. Evan Bush, NBC News, 9 Aug. 2023 One of them was a 3-by-3-foot hole that led to a patch of saguaro cactuses and mesquite trees on the Chilton Ranch. Eli Saslow Erin Schaff, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024 McCue said the Desert Botanical Garden has seen increasing mortality in its saguaro population since 2020, which also had record-breaking heat and little monsoon activity. Evan Bush, NBC News, 9 Aug. 2023 But it’s been worth it for the desert’s charms: the temperate winters and the cholla and saguaro growing on the hillsides — even as the city gets hotter. Jack Herrera, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2023 Pattern Energy officials said the company will be planting about 10,000 agave and 7,000 saguaro cactuses as part of restoration efforts and will be funding a plant salvage study as well as work to identify new agave species along the San Pedro River. Susan Montoya Bryan, Fortune, 14 Nov. 2023 Even the saguaro cacti, which are endemic to the Sonoran Desert, can’t cool off enough at night. Carolyn Kormann, The New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2023 In the Sonoran Desert, saguaro cacti that usually live about 150 years have been succumbing to the extreme heat, which weakened the plants’ skin tissues, Fox 10 in Phoenix reported. Jeremy C. Fox, BostonGlobe.com, 1 Aug. 2023 Desert Discovery Trail in Saguaro National Park, Arizona The Desert Discovery Trail travels among the park’s impressive saguaro cacti, which can reach heights of 40 feet. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 12 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'saguaro.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Mexican Spanish, probably from Ópata (Uto-Aztecan language of Sonora, Mexico)

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of saguaro was in 1856

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Dictionary Entries Near saguaro

Cite this Entry

“Saguaro.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saguaro. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

saguaro

noun
sa·​gua·​ro sə-ˈwär-ə How to pronounce saguaro (audio) -ˈwär-ō How to pronounce saguaro (audio)
-ˈgwär-ō
plural saguaros
: a cactus of desert regions of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico that has a spiny branched trunk, bears white flowers and edible reddish fruit, and may reach a height of up to 50 feet (16 meters)

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