croton
croton Lexical Profile
croton Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Any of various tropical shrubs or small trees of the genus Codiaeum (especially Codiaeum variegatum), native to Indonesia and Malaysia, widely cultivated as houseplants and in warm climates for their glossy, brightly colored, and heavily variegated leaves.
"The gardener placed a vibrant croton in the sunniest corner of the patio to encourage its brilliant red and yellow foliage."
A large and diverse genus (Croton) of broadly distributed tropical and subtropical plants in the spurge family, characterized by highly aromatic properties and seeds that yield croton oil, a powerfully irritating and purgative substance.
"Historically, toxic extracts from plants in the true croton genus were utilized in intense traditional medicinal treatments."
Word Nuance & Usage
In common gardening and horticultural terminology, 'croton' usually refers to the brightly colored ornamental shrubs of the genus Codiaeum, whereas in strict botanical taxonomy, it refers to a separate, large genus of plants in the spurge family.
• Rhymes for croton
Word Origin & Etymology
From Modern Latin, derived from the Greek word 'krotōn' meaning 'tick', so named because the seeds of the plant bear a strong physical resemblance to ticks.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.