castor oil

UK/ˈkɑː.stə ˌɔɪl/US/ˈkæ.stɚ ˌɔɪl/

noun

The pale yellow vegetable oil extracted from the castor bean; used as a laxative and an industrial lubricant.

Similar
ricinus oil
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Meanings

nouncastor oil (countable and uncountable, plural castor oils)

plural castor oils · alternative castor-oil

  1. countableuncountableThe pale yellow vegetable oil extracted from the castor bean; used as a laxative and an industrial lubricant.

    Every six months, spoonfuls of castor oil were administered to combat constipation.

    2020, Avni Doshi, Burnt Sugar, Hamish Hamilton, page 127

    Synonyms: ricinus oil

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe pale yellow vegetable oil extracted from the castor bean; used as a laxative and an industrial lubricant.

Similar
ricinus oil
Also see
ricinus oil

Origin

From its medicinal use in succession to castor.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek κίκι
  • κίκι (kíki)vegetable oil
Bulgarian рициново масло
  • рициново масло (ricinovo maslo)vegetable oil
Catalan oli de ricí
  • oli de ricívegetable oil
Chinese Mandarin 蓖麻油
  • 蓖麻油 (bìmáyóu)vegetable oil
Dutch castorolie, ricinusolie
  • castorolievegetable oil
  • ricinusolievegetable oil
Esperanto ricinoleo
  • ricinoleovegetable oil
Finnish risiiniöljy
  • risiiniöljyvegetable oil
French huile de ricin
  • huile de ricinvegetable oil
German Rizinusöl
  • Rizinusölvegetable oil
Greek καστορέλαιο, ρετσινόλαδο
  • καστορέλαιο (kastorélaio)vegetable oil
  • ρετσινόλαδο (retsinólado)vegetable oil
Hungarian ricinusolaj
  • ricinusolajvegetable oil
Italian olio di ricino
  • olio di ricinovegetable oil
Japanese 蓖麻子油
  • 蓖麻子油 (himashiyu)vegetable oil
Korean 피마자유
  • 피마자유 (pimajayu)vegetable oil
Polish olej rycynowy
  • olej rycynowyvegetable oil
Portuguese óleo de rícino
  • óleo de rícinovegetable oil
Punjabi ਕਸਟਰੈਲ
  • ਕਸਟਰੈਲ (kasṭarail)vegetable oil
Romanian ulei de ricin
  • ulei de ricinvegetable oil
Russian касто́ровое ма́сло, касто́рка
  • касто́ровое ма́сло (kastórovoje máslo)vegetable oil
  • касто́рка (kastórka)vegetable oil
Spanish aceite de ricino
  • aceite de ricinovegetable oil
Swedish ricinolja
  • ricinoljavegetable oil
Tagalog langis ng tangan-tangan, aseyte-de-kastor
  • langis ng tangan-tanganvegetable oil
  • aseyte-de-kastorvegetable oil
Tamil விளக்கெண்ணெய், ஆமணக்கெண்ணெய்
  • விளக்கெண்ணெய் (viḷakkeṇṇey)vegetable oil
  • ஆமணக்கெண்ணெய் (āmaṇakkeṇṇey)vegetable oil
Turkish Hint yağı
  • Hint yağıvegetable oil
Ukrainian рици́нова олія, касто́рова олія
  • рици́нова олія (rycýnova olija)vegetable oil
  • касто́рова олія (kastórova olija)vegetable oil
  • касто́рка (kastórka)vegetable oil
Cite this entry
APA

castor oil. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/castor%20oil

MLA

“castor oil.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/castor%20oil. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “castor oil,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/castor%20oil.

Source: castor oil on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.