castor bean

castor bean

n.

1. The castor-oil plant.

2. The poisonous seed of the castor-oil plant, from which castor oil is obtained.

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[castor (oil) + bean.]

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castor bean

n US and Canadian

1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) another name for castor-oil plant

2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) the seed of this plant

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

castor bean - the toxic seed of the castor-oil plant; source of castor oil oil-rich seed, oilseed - any of several seeds that yield oil castor bean plant, castor-oil plant, palma christ, palma christi, Ricinus communis - large shrub of tropical Africa and Asia having large palmate leaves and spiny capsules containing seeds that are the source of castor oil and ricin; widely naturalized throughout the tropics