castor bean

noun

Definition of castor bean

: the very poisonous seed of the castor-oil plant also : castor-oil plant

Examples of castor bean in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Castor oil is made by pressing the seeds of castor beans, which yields a viscous liquid thicker than olive oil and pale yellow in hue. Elizabeth Kiefer, Washington Post, "Cleopatra used it as a beauty aid. Now castor oil is staging a cosmetics comeback.," 8 July 2019 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ricin is found naturally in castor beans, and can be extracted to make a powder, mist or pellet containing the concentrated poison. Nancy A. Youssef, WSJ, "Letters to Pentagon Held Castor Seeds, Not Ricin; Utah Man Is Held," 3 Oct. 2018 The shell of the castor bean is highly poisonous and can be used to make ricin. Eric Schmitt, New York Times, "ISIS May Be Waning, but Global Threats of Terrorism Continue to Spread," 6 July 2018 The seeds of the castor bean plant are naturally poisonous and can be used to create ricin. Kirsten Grieshaber And David Rising, chicagotribune.com, "German authorities thwart plot to use deadly toxin in attack, prosecutors say," 14 June 2018 And in Cologne, Germany, authorities acting on information from American intelligence agencies last month arrested a Tunisian man who tried to buy 1,000 castor bean seeds and a coffee grinder online. Eric Schmitt, New York Times, "ISIS May Be Waning, but Global Threats of Terrorism Continue to Spread," 6 July 2018 According to federal prosecutors, about 3,150 castor bean seeds and 84.3 milligrams of ricin were found in the suspect's apartment along with the components needed to make a bomb. Frank Jordans, chicagotribune.com, "Tip from public helped Germany foil ricin attack plot," 20 June 2018 The latter boasts about its recycled laces and a castor bean oil insole which cuts down on carbon output compared to conventional petroleum foam. Jacob Gallagher, WSJ, "How the ‘World’s Most Comfortable Shoe’ Is Challenging Nike and Adidas," 21 May 2018 Just as deadly: raw potatoes, avocados, nicotine plants, and castor beans. Rebecca Kurson, Good Housekeeping, "10 Genius Tips For Dog-Proofing Your Garden," 17 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'castor bean.' 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 castor bean

1819, in the meaning defined above

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More Definitions for castor bean

castor bean

noun
cas·​tor bean | \ ˈkas-tər- How to pronounce castor bean (audio) \

Medical Definition of castor bean

: the very poisonous seed of the castor-oil plant also : castor-oil plant