castor bean

American  

noun

1. the seed of the castor-oil plant.

2. castor-oil plant.

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castor bean British  

noun

1. another name for castor-oil plant

2. the seed of this plant

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Other Word Forms

• castor-bean adjective

Etymology

Origin of castor bean

1810–20, short for castor-oil bean

Example Sentences

Ricin, a highly toxic chemical, is a poison found naturally in castor beans.

From BBC

The invasive species they brought — like black mustard, tree tobacco and castor bean — slowly crept into the ecosystem.

From Los Angeles Times

“Those, over there, are actually castor bean stalks,” Kleckner said as we zoomed past.

From Los Angeles Times

Around 90% of oil is valuable for industrial uses in crops like castor beans, Bates said.

From Science Daily

The researchers looked at a species of tick called the castor bean tick, which is common across Europe.

From Seattle Times