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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The one-mile loop is located in the East District and features educational signs informing visitors about the area’s history and its flora, an old homestead foundation, and a saguaro grove. Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 25 Jan. 2025 Cactus arms only begin to appear when the saguaro is around fifty to seventy years old. Hazlitt, 5 Mar. 2025 Here in the dry desert, among the saguaro cactuses and tumbleweeds, investigators found a different culprit: Rhipicephalus sanguineus, commonly known as the brown dog tick, a species that thrives on the reservation. Pien Huang, NPR, 15 Jan. 2025 Mark shares that this is his first time encountering an elf owl and explains how these tiny, docile birds lead secluded lives, often nesting in saguaro cactus cavities made by woodpeckers. Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 16 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for saguaro

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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Cite this Entry

“Saguaro.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saguaro. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

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)

More from Merriam-Webster on saguaro

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