1 croton | Definition of croton

croton

noun
cro·​ton | \ ˈkrō-tᵊn How to pronounce croton (audio) \

Definition of croton

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : any of a genus (Croton) of herbs, shrubs, and trees of the spurge family: such as
a : one (C. eluteria) of the Bahamas yielding cascarilla bark
b : an Asian plant (C. tiglium) yielding croton oil
2 : any of a genus (Codiaeum) of shrubs and trees related to the crotons

Croton

geographical name
Cro·​ton | \ ˈkrō-tᵊn How to pronounce Croton (audio) \

Definition of Croton (Entry 2 of 2)

river 60 miles (95 kilometers) long in southeastern New York flowing into the Hudson River

Examples of croton in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Stretching over three acres, the labyrinthine path is nearly two and a half miles of more than 14,000 colorful Hawaiian plants, including hibiscus, croton, heliconia and more. Brynn Mannino, Woman's Day, "9 Magnificent Manmade Mazes," 30 Sep. 2010 Iguana-resistant plants include crotons, ixora, oleander, milkweed and citrus. Doreen Christensen, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Expert tips on how to control iguanas," 21 June 2018 Other common euphorbias include crotons, crown of thorns, and many other cactus-like plants. Kenneth Setzer, miamiherald, "Some of South Florida's most popular plants may be toxic to pets," 14 June 2018 Some include Gold Mound durantas, crotons, shiny jasmines and hibiscus. Tom Maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "All mulches do the same things," 5 May 2018 Most likely the root balls were dry at planting or dried after the crotons were in the ground to cause the decline. Tom Maccubbin, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Cooler weather leads to more hardy azaleas," 17 Mar. 2018 Dead leaves on woody tropical plants, such as hibiscus, tibouchina, angel trumpet, croton, ixora, schefflera, copper plant and rubber tree, can be picked off to make things look neater. NOLA.com, "Don't prune freeze-damaged plants just yet: 5 tips for recovering your garden," 6 Jan. 2018 When pruning, wear gloves; croton stems and leaves contain a white sap that can cause skin irritation. Debbie Arrington, sacbee, "Can this tropical beauty survive Sacramento?," 15 Sep. 2017 Orange foliage can be found in the common crotons used in South Florida landscaping. Kenneth Setzer, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Fairchild's Tropical Garden Column: Let’s make Halloween a 'plant' holiday," 22 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'croton.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of croton

Noun

1751, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for croton

Noun

New Latin, genus name, from Greek krotōn castor-oil plant

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More Definitions for croton

croton

noun
cro·​ton | \ ˈkrōt-ᵊn How to pronounce croton (audio) \

Medical Definition of croton

1 capitalized : a genus of herbs and shrubs of the spurge family
2 : an herb or shrub of the genus Croton: as
a : one (C. eluteria) of the Bahamas yielding cascarilla bark
b : an Asian plant (C. tiglium) yielding croton oil

More from Merriam-Webster on croton

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with croton

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about croton