RICINUS COMMUNIS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Ricinus communis mean? 

• RICINUS COMMUNIS (noun)
  The noun RICINUS COMMUNIS has 1 sense:

1. 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

  Familiarity information: RICINUS COMMUNIS used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• RICINUS COMMUNIS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

castor-oil plant; castor bean plant; palma christ; palma christi; Ricinus communis

Hypernyms ("Ricinus communis" is a kind of...):

bush; shrub (a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems)

Meronyms (parts of "Ricinus communis"):

castor bean (the toxic seed of the castor-oil plant; source of castor oil)

Holonyms ("Ricinus communis" is a member of...):

genus Ricinus; Ricinus (a genus of herb having only one known species: castor-oil plant)

 Context examples 

A vegetable oil pressed from the seeds of the castor bean, Ricinus communis.

(Castor Oil, NCI Thesaurus)