bisnaga
or biz·na·ga
[ bis-nah-guh ]
/ bɪsˈnɑ gə /
noun
any of several thorny cactuses of the genera Echinocactus, Ferocactus, and Astrophytum of the southwestern U.S.
Origin of bisnaga
1835–45,
Americanism; < Mexican Spanish
biznaga, (probably by association with
biznaga parsnip) replacing earlier
vitznauac < Nahuatl
huitznāhuac, equivalent to
huitz(tli) thorn +
-nāhua- vicinity +
-c(o) locative suffix
Words nearby bisnaga
bismuthinite,
bismuthosis,
bismuthous,
bismuthyl,
bismutite,
bisnaga,
bison,
bisphenoid,
bisphosphonate,
bisque,
bissau
Example sentences from the Web for bisnaga
Pearls big as bisnaga fruit an greeny-white like a high moon.
Dust of the Desert |Robert Welles RitchieA welcome plant to the desert traveler is the bisnaga, or "well of the desert."
The Mystic Mid-Region |Arthur J. BurdickAnother of picturesque appeal is the bisnaga or barrel cactus, of which there are many species of many sizes.
The Book of the National Parks |Robert Sterling Yard