castor-oil plant

[kas-ter-oil, kah-ster-]

noun

1. a tall plant, Ricinus communis, of the spurge family, cultivated for its ornamental foliage and having poisonous seeds that are the source of castor oil.

castor-oil plant

noun

1. Also called (US and Canadian): castor bean. a tall euphorbiaceous Indian plant, Ricinus communis, cultivated in tropical regions for ornament and for its poisonous seeds, from which castor oil is extracted

Word History and Origins

Origin of castor-oil plant¹

First recorded in 1835–45