jojoba

[hoh-hoh-buh]

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.

Origin of jojoba

Borrowed into English from Mexican Spanish around 1920–25

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

British Dictionary definitions for jojoba

jojoba

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