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

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

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 7, 2024

Other formulas are based on plant oils, including castor bean, cedarwood, clove and peppermint.

From Seattle Times • May 20, 2023

The pollen grains of various common plants like sunflower, morning glories, prairie hollyhock, oriental lily, evening primrose and castor bean — magnified 500 times and colorized in this image — display intricate patterns.

From Salon • Sep. 23, 2022

For example, Ixodes ricinus, the castor bean tick, is now found at European altitudes more than 1,300 feet higher than it was in the 1950s.

From Scientific American • Feb. 25, 2022

Digitalis is produced from foxgloves; menthol, from peppermint; opium, from a species of poppy; linseed oil, from flaxseed; laxatives, from iris and rhubarb; and castor oil, from the castor bean.

From Area Handbook for Bulgaria by Baluyut, Violeta D.