limonene

[lim-uh-neen]

noun Chemistry.

a liquid terpene, C40H16, occurring in two optically different forms, the dextrorotatory form being present in the essential oils of lemon, orange, etc., and the levorotatory form in Douglas fir needle oil.

Origin of limonene

1835–45; < New Latin Limon(um) lemon + -ene

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for limonene

Historical Examples of limonene

Among its constituents are limonene, linalyl acetate, geraniol and geranyl acetate.
The Handbook of Soap Manufacture
W. H. Simmons

British Dictionary definitions for limonene

limonene

noun

a liquid optically active terpene with a lemon-like odour, found in lemon, orange, peppermint, and other essential oils and used as a wetting agent and in the manufacture of resins. Formula: C 10 H 16

Word Origin for limonene

C19: from New Latin limonum lemon

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