pinene

American

[pahy-neen] / ˈpaɪ nin /

noun

Chemistry.

a liquid terpene, C 1 0 H 1 6 , the principal constituent of oil of turpentine, found in other essential oils: used chiefly in the manufacture of camphor.

pinene British

/ ˈpaɪniːn /

noun

either of two isomeric terpenes, found in many essential oils and constituting the main part of oil of turpentine. The commonest structural isomer ( α-pinene ) is used in the manufacture of camphor, solvents, plastics, and insecticides. Formula: C 10 H 16

"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

Etymology

Origin of pinene

First recorded in 1880–85; pine ¹ + -ene

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:

pinene

The application also suggests that pinene could allow wider spacing between drill holes and may reduce the time, labor, and amount of insecticide needed for treatment.

From Science Daily ● May 9, 2026

To western drywood termites, pinene can signal food.

From Science Daily ● May 9, 2026

In earlier work, Choe's lab studied pinene, a pleasant smelling chemical released by forest trees.

From Science Daily ● May 9, 2026

It states that adding pinene to localized treatments killed termites more quickly and increased final mortality compared with insecticide alone.

From Science Daily ● May 9, 2026

The principal constituents of the oil are limonene and citral, together with small quantities of pinene, phellandrene, octyl and nonyl aldehydes, citronellal, geraniol, geranyl acetate, and the stearopten, citraptene.

From The Handbook of Soap Manufacture by W. H. Simmons

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023