theine

American  

[thee-een, -in] / ˈθi in, -ɪn /

noun

1. caffeine, especially in tea.

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theine British  

/ ˈθiːiːn, -ɪn /

noun

1. another name for caffeine, esp when present in tea

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Etymology

Origin of theine

First recorded in 1830–40; from New Latin the(a) “tea” ( see origin at tea) + -ine ²

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

theine

The berries contain theine; so also do the leaves, and in some countries the latter are preferred.

From Catalogue of Economic Plants in the Collection of the U. S. Department of Agriculture by Saunders, William

The chemical principle of tea, namely theine, was subsequently tried and produced no effect.

From Insectivorous Plants by Darwin, Charles

The active principles of the leaves are theine and a volatile oil, to which latter the flavor and odor are due.

From Catalogue of Economic Plants in the Collection of the U. S. Department of Agriculture by Saunders, William

The leaves yield the same bitter principle called theine, which is found in the leaf of the Chinese tea-plant, the coffee berry, &c.

From The Commercial Products of the Vegetable Kingdom Considered in Their Various Uses to Man and in Their Relation to the Arts and Manufactures; Forming a Practical Treatise & Handbook of Reference for the Colonist, Manufacturer, Merchant, and Consumer, on the Cultivation, Preparation for Shipment, and Commercial Value, &c. of the Various Substances Obtained From Trees and Plants, Entering into the Husbandry of Tropical and Sub-tropical Regions, &c. by Simmonds, P. L.

In the first series of experiments, the daily allowance of food, though less copious on the tea days, was more nitrogenized, and nitrogen also was taken in as theine.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 03, No. 15, January, 1859 by Various