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

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 Ritchie
  • A welcome plant to the desert traveler is the bisnaga, or "well of the desert."

    The Mystic Mid-Region |Arthur J. Burdick
  • Another 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