# prickly pear

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˌpɹɪkli ˈpɛː/

## Definitions
1. Any of various spiny cacti of the genus Opuntia.
2. The fruit, often edible, of such a plant.

## Etymology
From prickly + pear, from the nature of the plant's fruit, which, like the cactus it grows on, has spines on its surface.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/prickly-pear