castor oil

noun

1. a colorless to pale yellow, viscid liquid, usually obtained from the castor bean by a pressing process: used as a lubricant, in the manufacture of certain soaps and creams, and in medicine chiefly as a cathartic.

castor oil

noun

1. a colourless or yellow glutinous oil obtained from the seeds of the castor-oil plant and used as a fine lubricant and as a cathartic

Word History and Origins

Origin of castor oil¹

1740–50; castor (perhaps variant spelling of caster ) + oil; perhaps so called because of its purgative effect

Example Sentences

India mainly exports rice, shrimp, honey, vegetable extracts, castor oil and black pepper, while the US sends almonds, walnuts, pistachios, apples and lentils.

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Ricin is a highly toxic poison naturally derived from castor oil plants.

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The modified Arabidopsis overcame metabolic bottlenecks and produced significant amounts of an oil similar to castor oil that it doesn't naturally produce.

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Look for products that contain petroleum jelly, castor oil and glycerin, Rogers said.

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Newer products include a hair strengthening collection with biotin and Jamaican castor oil, and a wig care collection that uses apple cider vinegar to remove build-up from weaves and wigs.

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