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Showing results for decaffeinate. Search instead for decaffeinating.

decaffeinate

American  
[dee-kaf-uh-neyt, -kaf-ee-uh-] / diˈkæf əˌneɪt, -ˈkæf i ə- /

verb (used with object)

decaffeinated, decaffeinating
  1. to extract caffeine from.

    to decaffeinate coffee.


decaffeinate British  
/ dɪˈkæfɪˌneɪt /

verb

  1. (tr) to remove all or part of the caffeine from (coffee, tea, etc)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of decaffeinate

First recorded in 1925–30; de- + caffein + -ate 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

This method, which requires expensive equipment for making and handling the CO₂, is extensively used to decaffeinate commercial-grade, or supermarket, coffees.

From Salon Jul. 23, 2024

The Swiss water method, initially used commercially in the early 1980s, uses hot water to decaffeinate coffee.

From Salon Jul. 23, 2024

I found a natural way to decaffeinate a tea: steep for 30 seconds, then toss out the liquid and brew the same tea bag in fresh hot water.

From Seattle Times Aug. 16, 2023

Founded by Andy Liu, Decafino makes a teabag-like product that can 80 percent decaffeinate any 16-ounce cup of coffee in less than four minutes.

From Slate Jan. 11, 2023

Since the early 1900s, many methods have been used to decaffeinate coffee.

From Textbooks Feb. 14, 2019

After the abstinence phase, coffee was gradually reintroduced without participants knowing whether they were drinking caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee.

From Science Daily May 3, 2026

Researchers analyzed how consumption of caffeinated coffee, tea, and decaffeinated coffee related to long-term brain health outcomes.

From Science Daily Mar. 18, 2026

Depending on how the beans are decaffeinated, some aromatic elements may be co-extracted with the caffeine during the process.

From Salon Oct. 31, 2023

But in the 20th century, TCE was used for many purposes, including making decaffeinated coffee, dry cleaning, carpet cleaning, and as an inhaled surgical anesthetic for children and women in labor.

From Science Magazine May 15, 2023

In the endeavor to develop a commercial decaffeinated coffee the first method of procedure was to extract the caffein from roasted coffee.

From All About Coffee by Ukers, William H. (William Harrison)

Producers decaffeinating their coffee want to remove the caffeine while retaining all – or at least most – of the other chemical aroma and flavor compounds.

From Salon Jul. 23, 2024

Shortly thereafter, California Assemblymember Eloise Reyes proposed new legislation that would expressly prohibit a “person or entity from using methylene chloride in the process of decaffeinating coffee” starting in 2027.

From Salon Mar. 16, 2024

And of course, living in California, I couldn’t help but hear about a new West Coast startup company focused on decaffeinating coffee after it has been pulled or poured.

From Slate Jan. 11, 2023

This could be done through genetic engineering of the tobacco plant or chemical extraction after the fact — a similar process to decaffeinating coffee beans.

From Scientific American Jul. 31, 2017

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