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Glite Dictionary
palma christi

palma christi

9.9
A large tropical shrub with palm-like leaves grown for seeds that make castor oil and are poisonous
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : palma christi
  • Care should be taken when handling palma christi seeds, as they contain a potent toxin.

Examples

  • The seeds of the palma christi are processed to make castor oil.

  • The palma christi plant is known for its large, palmate leaves.

  • Farmers in the region grow palma christi for its valuable oil and medicinal uses.

  • Farmers in Africa often cultivate palma christi for its oil.

  • Farmers in the region grow palma christi for its valuable oil and medicinal uses.

  • The seeds of the palma christi are processed to make castor oil.

  • The palma christi plant is known for its large, palmate leaves.

Synonyms

castor
vspalma christi
5 5.5

A tropical plant with large leaves whose seeds are used to make oil and medicine

focuses more on the species identity and its toxic seeds rather than medicines
Ricinus communis
vspalma christi
  • Specialized
1 8.6

A tall tropical plant with big leaves and spiny seed pods whose seeds make castor oil and are very poisonous

is the common descriptive name rather than the scientific label
castor-oil plant
vspalma christi
7.7

A large tropical bush with wide leaves that has seeds used for castor oil and contains a poison called ricin

focuses on being grown for seeds that yield oil and toxin
castor bean plant
vspalma christi
7.0

A large tropical shrub with big hand-shaped leaves and spiny seed pods that give seeds used to make castor oil

uses a broader shrub name rather than stressing the seed form

Surface Forms

palma christi singular
palmae christi plural

Morphology

palma + christi

The constituents are Latin forms not found in the learner dictionary, so a B1 learner who knows English vocabulary would not be able to compositionally derive the botanical meaning. Even if a learner recognized 'palma' (palm) and 'christi' (Christ/’of Christ’), that literal reading does not predict the specialised sense 'castor oil plant', making the expression idiomatic/lexicalized rather than transparently compositional.

Etymology

Palma christi, with palma meaning 'palm' and christi meaning 'Christ', comes from Latin because the plant's large, hand-shaped leaves looked like a palm. People used its seeds to make castor oil for 'healing', so the name linked the plant's hand-like look to a healing hand, and today palma christi is the shrub grown for its seeds that make 'castor oil'.