jojoba

[ hoh-hoh-buh ]
/ hoʊˈhoʊ bə /

noun

a shrub, Simmondsia chinensis (or S. californica), of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico, bearing seeds that are the source of an oil (jojoba oil) used in cosmetics and as a lubricant.

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Also called goat-nut [goht-nuht] /ˈgoʊtˌnʌt/.

Origin of jojoba

Borrowed into English from Mexican Spanish around 1920–25

Words nearby jojoba

jointure, jointworm, joinvile, joinville, joist, jojoba, jokai, joke, jokebook, joker, jokester
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for jojoba

jojoba
/ (həʊˈhəʊbə) /

noun

a shrub or small tree of SW North America, Simmondsia californica, that has edible seeds containing a valuable oil used in cosmetics

Word Origin for jojoba

Mexican Spanish
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012