castor oil

noun

a colorless to pale yellow, viscid liquid, usually obtained from the castor bean by a pressing process: used as a lubricant, in the manufacture of certain soaps and creams, and in medicine chiefly as a cathartic.
Also called ricinus oil.

Origin of castor oil

1740–50; castor (perhaps variant spelling of caster) + oil; perhaps so called because of its purgative effect

Words nearby castor oil

castner process, castoff, castor, castor and pollux, castor bean, castor oil, castor sugar, castor-oil plant, castoreum, castrate, castration

Example sentences from the Web for castor oil

British Dictionary definitions for castor oil

castor oil

noun

a colourless or yellow glutinous oil obtained from the seeds of the castor-oil plant and used as a fine lubricant and as a cathartic

Medical definitions for castor oil

castor oil
[ kăs′tər ]

n.

A colorless or pale yellowish oil extracted from the seeds of the castor-oil plant, used pharmaceutically as a laxative and skin softener and industrially as a lubricant.