bisnaga

noun

bis·na·ga

biˈsnägə

variants or less commonly biznaga

biˈsnägə

plural -s

: any of several thorny cacti of the genera Ferocactus and Echinocactus (especially F. peninsulae of Lower California and adjacent regions)

Word History

Etymology

Spanish biznaga, probably by folk etymology (influence of biznaga parsnip, from Arabic bastīnāj, bashnāqah, from Latin pastinaca) from earlier vitznauac, from Nahuatl huitz-nahuac, literally, surrounded by thorns, from huitztli thorn + nahuac around