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

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

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 theine in tea and the theobromine in cocoa are so similar to caffeine that chemists can not differentiate them.

From Maintaining Health Formerly Health and Efficiency by Alsaker, R. L.

Now this quantity is contained in 0.6 parts of theine, or 2 grains 8/10ths of theine can give to an ounce of bile the nitrogen it contains in the form of taurine.

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.

Judging by diminished effects upon tea drinkers, some of the volatile theine is also lost.

From Tea Leaves by Leggett, Francis