1
: any of a genus (Croton) of herbs, shrubs, and trees of the spurge family: such as
a
: one (C. eluteria) of the Bahamas yielding cascarilla bark
b
: an Asian plant (C. tiglium) yielding croton oil
2
: any of a genus (Codiaeum) of shrubs and trees related to the crotons
Examples of croton in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Conceivably, Pissarro would have arrived at those croton hues without his Caribbean childhood, but as a metaphor the idea is sound: Pissarro’s island identity was essential to his always liminal life.
—
Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2023
Containers planted with vibrant crotons pair perfectly with a cheerful smattering of pumpkins.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2023
The spiraling hedges are planted with gold dust croton, a leafy green plant dotted with yellow.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2023
This fake croton plant will give you those bright leaves all year round without having to put in the work.
—Michelle Love, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 May 2023
Hawkins attended one such auction earlier this spring and says the competition for a slow-growing type of croton with 15 orange leaves became so intense that the two final bidders decided to split it.
—Hannah Holland, Washington Post, 2 May 2023
This propagation method works on many tropical plants often grown indoors, including weeping fig, rubber plant, hibiscus, schefflera, dracaena, dieffenbachia, pothos, and crotons.
—Lynn Coulter, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Mar. 2023
Scrape the stems of the croton with the dead leaves to determine where there may be green portions capable of growth.
—Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2023
Add a tropical touch to your indoor decor with croton plants.
—Mariah Thomas, Good Housekeeping, 2 Feb. 2023
Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2023
Containers planted with vibrant crotons pair perfectly with a cheerful smattering of pumpkins.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 5 Sep. 2023
The spiraling hedges are planted with gold dust croton, a leafy green plant dotted with yellow.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2023
This fake croton plant will give you those bright leaves all year round without having to put in the work.
—Michelle Love, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 May 2023
Hawkins attended one such auction earlier this spring and says the competition for a slow-growing type of croton with 15 orange leaves became so intense that the two final bidders decided to split it.
—Hannah Holland, Washington Post, 2 May 2023
This propagation method works on many tropical plants often grown indoors, including weeping fig, rubber plant, hibiscus, schefflera, dracaena, dieffenbachia, pothos, and crotons.
—Lynn Coulter, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Mar. 2023
Scrape the stems of the croton with the dead leaves to determine where there may be green portions capable of growth.
—Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2023
Add a tropical touch to your indoor decor with croton plants.
—Mariah Thomas, Good Housekeeping, 2 Feb. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'croton.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near croton
Cite this Entry
“Croton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/croton. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
croton
noun
cro·ton
ˈkrōt-ᵊn 
1
capitalized
: a genus of herbs and shrubs of the spurge family
2
: an herb or shrub of the genus Croton: as
a
: one (C. eluteria) of the Bahamas yielding cascarilla bark
b
: an Asian plant (C. tiglium) yielding croton oil
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