noun
castor
KAHS-tuh
noun
1
A small swivelling wheel fitted to the leg of a piece of furniture so it can be rolled.
"One of the castors on the office chair had come loose."
2
A small container with a perforated top used for sprinkling sugar, salt, or pepper.
"She reached for the sugar castor to sweeten her tea."
How to Use Castor
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small wheel under furniture, or a small shaker for sugar or salt — usually just a spelling variant of "caster."
Common mistake
Often used interchangeably with "caster" — both spellings are accepted for the furniture wheel and the sugar shaker.
Easily confused with
Word Forms
castors plural, castors plural
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One of the _____ on the office chair had come loose.
Etymology
From French castor, "beaver," ultimately from Ancient Greek kástōr — the word originally referred to a hat made of beaver fur, and later shifted to describe rolling wheels and sprinkling containers.