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croton oil
noun
: a viscid acrid fixed oil obtained from seeds of an Asian croton (Croton tiglium) formerly used as a powerful purgative but now used especially in pharmacological experiments as an irritant
Examples of croton oil in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The mice painted only with croton oil hadn’t developed tumors.
—Siddhartha Mukherjee, The New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2023
When the researchers added some slicks of croton oil to the same area, the results were startlingly different.
—Siddhartha Mukherjee, The New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2023
Like croton oil, asbestos seems to act as a promoter.
—Siddhartha Mukherjee, The New Yorker, 11 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'croton oil.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1827, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near croton oil
Cite this Entry
“Croton oil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/croton%20oil. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Medical Definition
croton oil
noun
: a viscid irritating oil from an Asian plant of the genus Croton (C. tiglium) that has been used in folk medicine as a cathartic
More from Merriam-Webster on croton oil
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about croton oil
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