Meaning
A prickly pear cactus from the genus Opuntia, especially Opuntia cochinellifera; the edible pads (fleshy leaves) of the cactus, considered as food.
Etymology
Origin: Spanish
From Spanish nopal, from Classical Nahuatl nohpalli (“Opuntia cactus”). Compare nopales.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
prickly pearnopales
NYT Puzzle Appearances
No published puzzle dates on file for this word yet. It is part of the official NYT Spelling Bee word list for 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025.