croton

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: cro=ton

CIDE DICTIONARY

croton, n. [Gr. , prop., a tick, which the seed of the croton resembles.].

 A genus of euphorbiaceous plants belonging to tropical countries.  [1913 Webster]

Croton oil (Med.), a viscid, acrid, brownish yellow oil obtained from the seeds of Croton Tiglium, a small tree of the East Indies. It is a most powerful drastic cathartic, and is used externally as a pustulant.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

croton, n.
1 any small tree or shrub of the genus Croton, producing a capsule-like fruit.
2 any small tree or shrub of the genus Codiaeum, esp. C. variegatum, with coloured ornamental leaves.

Idiom

croton oil a powerful purgative obtained from the fruit of Croton tiglium.

Etymology

mod.L f. Gk kroton sheep-tick, croton (from the shape of its seeds)