coumarin

Or cu·ma·rin

[koo-muh-rin]

noun

1. a fragrant crystalline substance, C 9 H 6 O 2 , obtained from the tonka bean, sweet clover, and certain other plants or prepared synthetically, used chiefly in soaps and perfumery.

coumarin

/ ˈkuːmərɪn /

noun

1. a white vanilla-scented crystalline ester, used in perfumes and flavourings and as an anticoagulant. Formula: C 9 H 6 O 2

coumarin

1. A fragrant crystalline compound extracted from several plants, such as tonka beans and sweet clover, or produced synthetically. Coumarin and its derivatives are widely used in perfumes, as anticoagulants, and as rodenticides. Chemical formula: C ₉ H ₆ O ₂ .

Other Word Forms

• coumaric adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of coumarin¹

1820–30; < French coumarine, equivalent to coumar ( ou ) tonka-bean tree (< Spanish cumarú < Portuguese < Tupi cumaru ) + -ine -in ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of coumarin¹

C19: from French coumarine, from coumarou tonka-bean tree, from Spanish cumarú, from Tupi

Example Sentences

The tonka bean’s robust scent comes from the presence of coumarin, a naturally occurring organic compound that’s also found in Cassia cinnamon and some licorice roots.

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You’d need to eat 30 whole beans for the coumarin levels to cause liver failure.

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Alongside is a sidecar of vanilla-tonka bean maple syrup, heady with the almond-y, fresh-hay scent of coumarin — a naturally occurring chemical in the seeds of the kumaru tree.

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One of the active ingredients, coumarin, can be toxic for some people's livers.

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Cassia cinnamon contains up to 1% of coumarin, and the Ceylon variety contains much less, 0.004%.

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