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

Tea contains two harmful substances, theine and tannin,—from three to six per cent of the former and more than one fourth its weight of the latter.

From Science in the Kitchen. by Kellogg, Mrs. E. E.

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.

There is more theine or caffeine in tea leaves than in coffee.

From The Foundations of Japan Notes Made During Journeys Of 6,000 Miles In The Rural Districts As A Basis For A Sounder Knowledge Of The Japanese People by Scott, J.W. Robertson

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

Its active principle is identical with theine, of which it contains a larger quantity than exists in any other known plant, being more than double that contained in the best black tea.

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