nopal n 1: cactus having yellow flowers and purple fruits [syn: {nopal}, {Opuntia lindheimeri}] 2: any of several cacti of the genus Nopalea resembling prickly pears
Nopal \No"pal\, n. [Mexican nopalli.] (Bot.) A cactaceous plant ({Nopalea cochinellifera}), originally Mexican, on which the cochineal insect feeds, and from which it is collected. The name is sometimes given to other species of {Cactaceae}. [1913 Webster]