castor1
/ˈkɑːstə
/(also caster)
noun
1Each of a set of small swivelling wheels fixed to the legs or base of a heavy piece of furniture so that it can be moved easily.The chair has four legs, pedestal or swivel base with castors....
- The cleaner can be used on all coverings, from shagpile carpets to wooden floorboards and ceramic tiles, and is fitted with a soft tread on the castors and wheels to protect even the most sensitive floor coverings.
- The base is available with castors for hard or soft floors.
2A small container with holes in the top, especially one used for sprinkling sugar or pepper.
Origin
Late 17th century (in sense 2): originally a variant of caster, in the general sense 'something that casts'.
Rhymes
castor2
/ˈkɑːstə/noun [mass noun]
An oily reddish-brown substance secreted by beavers, used in medicine and perfumes.Beavers produce scent from their castor glands that creates a reddish stain on mounds of grass and mud that they build at the water's edge.
Origin
Late Middle English (in the sense 'beaver'): from Old French or Latin, from Greek kastōr.
Castor3
/ˈkɑːstə/1 Greek Mythology The twin brother of Pollux. See Dioscuri.
2 Astronomy The second-brightest star in the constellation Gemini, close to Pollux. It is a multiple star system, the three components visible in a moderate telescope being close binaries.