shea butter

American  

noun

• shea butters
  plural

1. a solid, greenish, yellowish, or whitish fat derived from the seeds of the shea tree, used for food and in the manufacture of soaps and candles.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• shea butters
  plural

Etymology

Origin of shea butter

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

shea butter

Harvested fruit from shea nut trees have to be crushed, roasted and boiled to extract their oil to produce the shea butter used in cosmetics.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2025

Shinichirō Watanabe's vision marries futuristic visuals with realism, with the series' jazz score treated as something to be felt and then absorbed, like dry skin lathered in shea butter.

From Salon ● Apr. 5, 2025

The nonsticky, vegan lip treatments are meant to heal lips via shea butter, jojoba oil and lysine.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 14, 2024

The American Academy of Dermatology also recommends lip balms that contain ceramides, hemp seed oil, dimethicone, mineral oil and shea butter.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 5, 2024

Only so much could be done about her hair without shea butter and a good comb, but she at least tried to redo some of the unravelling twists.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray