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Cactus vs Oak - What's the difference?

cactus | oak |

As nouns the difference between cactus and oak

is that cactus is any member of the family Cactaceae, a family of flowering New World succulent plants suited to a hot, semi-desert climate while oak is (tree) A tree of the genus Quercus.

As adjectives the difference between cactus and oak

is that cactus is non-functional, broken, exhausted while oak is (colour) of a rich brown colour, like that of oak wood.

cactus

English

Noun

  • (botany) Any member of the family Cactaceae, a family of flowering New World succulent plants suited to a hot, semi-desert climate.
  • Any succulent plant with a thick fleshy stem bearing spines but no leaves, including euphorbs.

    • Usage notes

    In modern English, the term cactus' properly refers to plants belonging to the family Cactaceae. With one exception, all are native to the New World (the Americas). The sole exception is , a jungle epiphyte found in tropical Africa, Madagascar, and Sri Lanka, as well as North and South America. Informally, '''cactus is used to refer to any stem ''succulent'' adapted to a dry climate, notably species from genus ''Euphorbia with forms reminiscent of Cactaceae. To be precise, these succulents are correctly described as "cactoid" or "cactiform" unless they are actual members of the Cactaceae.

    Hypernyms

    * (member of Cactaceae) succulent

    Hyponyms

    * (member of Cactaceae) nopal, saguaro

    Related terms

    * cactaceous * cactal * cactoid

    Derived terms

    * barrel cactus * beehive cactus * bird's nest cactus * cactus cat * cactuslike * cactus wren * compass cactus * crown cactus * dumpling cactus * feather cactus * finger cactus * fishhook cactus * foxtail cactus * hedgehog cactus * horse crippler cactus * ladyfinger cactus * mistletoe cactus * nipple cactus * noncactus * old lady cactus * orchid cactus * organ pipe cactus * pencil cactus * Rainbow cactus * rattail cactus * strawberry cactus * thimble cactus * willow cactus, willow-cactus

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (Australia, NZ, slang) Non-functional, broken, exhausted.
  • * {{quote-newsgroup, title=TV Problems
    • , group=aus.electronics , author=Dave , date=July 8 , year=2001 , passage=I wouldn't mind throwing it away if it's cactus except for the VCR part which works fine, so then I'd be up for a new VCR as well. citation
  • * {{quote-newsgroup, title=water damage ???
    • , group=alt.cellular.nokia , author=AC , date=August 25 , year=2004 , passage=I would say it's cactus . Water conducts & destroys components & PCBs very easily. Hence the water-resistant phones. citation
  • * 2009 , Will Chaffey, Swimming with Crocodiles: An Australian Adventure , page 108,
    • ‘It?s cactus ,’ Rod, the helicopter pilot, said at the sound of the piston ring shattering.

    See also

    * succulent * (Cactus) * English nouns with irregular plurals ----

    oak

    English

    Noun

  • (senseid)(lb) A tree of the genus Quercus .
  • *
  • *:It was not far from the house; but the ground sank into a depression there, and the ridge of it behind shut out everything except just the roof of the tallest hayrick. As one sat on the sward behind the elm, with the back turned on the rick and nothing in front but the tall elms and the oaks in the other hedge, it was quite easy to fancy it the verge of the prairie with the backwoods close by.
  • *
  • *:Instead there were the white of aspens, streaks of branch and slender trunk glistening from the green of leaves, and the darker green of oaks , and through the middle of this forest, from wall to wall, ran a winding line of brilliant green which marked the course of cottonwoods and willows.
  • (lb) The wood of the oak.
  • A rich brown colour, like that of oak wood.
  • :

    • Derived terms

    * *

    Hypernyms

    * (oak tree) tree

    Meronyms

    * (oak tree) acorn

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (colour) of a rich brown colour, like that of oak wood.
  • made of oak wood or timber
    • an oak' table, ' oak beam, etc
  • consisting of oak trees
    • an oak' wood, ' oak forest, etc

    Derived terms

    * acute oak decline * blackjack oak * chestnut oak * (chinquapin oak) * (coast live oak) * cork oak * durmast oak * fumed oak * holly oak * holm oak * Jerusalem oak * kermes oak * live oak * oak apple * oak fern * Oak Forest * oak gall * oak leaf cluster * Oak Park * oak pruner * oak wilt * oaken * Oakland * oakmoss * oak processionary moth * Oakville * pin oak * poison oak * red oak * scarlet oak * sessile oak * silky oak * scrub oak * (tan oak) * (valley oak) * water oak * white oak * willow oak

    See also

    * acorn * cork * ellagic acid * encina * nutgall * quercetin * quercitron * roble * shillelagh * tanbark * valonia * wainscot * (topicsee)

    External links

    * (wikipedia "oak")

    Anagrams

    * (l) * (l), (l)