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

Terpenes such as pinene from pine trees, for example, can participate in reactions that generate tiny airborne particles.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026

To western drywood termites, pinene can signal food.

From Science Daily ● May 9, 2026

"Without pinene, we got about 70% mortality. When we added it in, it was over 95%."

From Science Daily ● Apr. 20, 2026

"We saw significant differences in the death rates using insecticide alone versus the insecticide plus pinene," said UCR entomologist Dong-Hwan Choe, who led the discovery.

From Science Daily ● May 31, 2024

The chief constituents of the oil are: linalol, cineol, borneol, terpineol, geraniol, pinene, camphene and camphor.

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

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