/noʊˈpɑl/, /ˈnəʊpəl/
OriginFrom Spanish nopal, from Classical Nahuatl nohpalli (“Opuntia cactus”). Compare nopales.
- A prickly pear cactus from the genus Opuntia, especially Opuntia cochinellifera; the edible pads (fleshy leaves) of the cactus, considered as food.
“They rode up through cholla and nopal, a dwarf forest of spined things, through a stone gap in the mountains and down among blooming artemisia and aloe.”
“Nopal is a prickly pear native to arid areas of North and South America.[…]Nopal is high in fiber, vitamins, protein, and mucilage.”
Formsnopals(plural) · nopal(plural)