Dictionary

castoreum en · NOUN

Etymology

From Latin castoreum, from Ancient Greek καστόριον (kastórion).

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The bitter exudate of the castor sacs of mature beavers, used as a scent mark, and as a tincture in some perfumes.
   • Real oud is complex material, with honey, tobacco, leaf, minty-fresh and castoreum animalic notes all mixed together. 2010, Luca Turin, Tania Sanchez, “M7”, in Perfumes: The A–Z Guide, Profile Books, →ISBN, page 233:
   • While the role of castoreum as a means of territorial advertisement has been extensively investigated and supported, the possibility of coding for sex information has not yet been excluded. 1999, L. Sun, D. Müller-Schwarze, “Chemical Signals in the Beaver: One Species, Two Secretions, Many Functions?”, in Robert E. Johnston, Dietland Müller-Schwarze, Peter W. Sorenson, editors, Advances in Chemical Signals in Vertebrates, page 284:
   • One of the substances tried was castoreum.[…]If I were to judge from my own experience, I would say castoreum has very little therapeutic power, for I have not seen much benefit from its employment in those cases to which this remedy is said to be adapted. 1835 November 28, Jon Pereira, “Lectures on Materia Medica, or Pharmacology, and General Therapeutics: Lecture IX: On Castoreum”, in London Medical Gazette, volume 17, page 299:
   • Synthetic castoreums are now available, and can be as good as the natural fragrant^([sic]). 2004, Christian V. Stevens, Roland Verhé, Renewable Bioresources: Scope and Modification for Non-Food Applications, page 257:
2. (archaic, countable, uncountable) A hat made from beaver fur.

Forms

Relateds

Castoreum

Synonyms

beaver · castor · castor

Translations (33)

syc ܩܣܛܘܪܝܘܢ (castor sac exudate) · sl kastoréum (castor sac exudate) · pt castóreo (castor sac exudate) · nl bevergeil (castor sac exudate) · fa گندبیدستر (castor sac exudate) · fr castoréum (castor sac exudate) · ar جُنْدُبَادَسْتَر (castor sac exudate) · uk касто́реум (castor sac exudate) · fi hauste (castor sac exudate) · nl castoreum (castor sac exudate) · de Bibergeil (castor sac exudate) · ota جند بیدستر (castor sac exudate) · ca castori (castor sac exudate) · nn gjel (castor sac exudate) · sh kastoreum (castor sac exudate) · es castóreo (castor sac exudate) · uk бобро́ва струя́ (castor sac exudate) · grc καστόριον (castor sac exudate) · grc καστόρειον (castor sac exudate) · tt кондыз агынтысы (castor sac exudate) · bg касто́реум (castor sac exudate) · it castoreo (castor sac exudate) · pl strój bobrowy (castor sac exudate) · ru бобро́вая струя́ (castor sac exudate) · pl kastoreum (castor sac exudate) · de Castoreum (castor sac exudate) · ar خُصْيْة الْبَحْر (castor sac exudate) · fi majavanhausta (castor sac exudate) · ru касто́реум (castor sac exudate) · la castoreum (castor sac exudate) · sv bävergäll (castor sac exudate) · mk кастореум (castor sac exudate) · el καστόριο (castor sac exudate)