theobromine

American

[thee-uh-broh-meen, -min] / ˌθi əˈbroʊ min, -mɪn /

noun

Pharmacology.

a white, crystalline, water-insoluble, poisonous powder, C 7 H 8 N 4 O 2 , an isomer of theophylline and lower homologue of caffeine, occurring in tea and obtained from the cacao bean: used chiefly as a diuretic, myocardial stimulant, and vasodilator.

theobromine British

/ ˌθiːəʊˈbrəʊmiːn, -mɪn /

noun

a white crystalline slightly water-soluble alkaloid that occurs in many plants, such as tea and cacao: formerly used to treat asthma. Formula: C 7 H 8 N 4 O 2 See also xanthine

"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

theobromine Scientific

/ thē′ō-brō′mēn′ /

A bitter, colorless alkaloid that occurs in the cacao bean, cola nuts, and tea. It is found in chocolate products and used in medicine as a diuretic, vasodilator, and myocardial stimulant. Theobromine is a xanthine and similar in structure to caffeine and theophylline. Chemical formula: C ₇ H ₈ N ₄ O ₂ .

Etymology

Origin of theobromine

1835–45; < New Latin Theobrom ( a ) genus of trees typified by cacao (< Greek theo- theo- + brôma food) + -ine ²

Compare meaning

How does theobromine compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

theobromine vs. caffeine

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:

theobromine

Individuals with higher amounts of theobromine in their bloodstream tended to have a biological age that appeared younger than their chronological age.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 12, 2025

The lack of theobromine also means that unlike chocolate, carob is not toxic to dogs and cats.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 8, 2024

Substances that may actually attract humans to chocolate – methylxanthines like theobromine and caffeine – are toxic to both dogs and cats.

From Salon ● Dec. 18, 2022

Cocoa bean mulch, which contains caffeine and theobromine, can cause vomiting and diarrhea, among other issues.

From Washington Post ● May 4, 2022

Of these the butter and theobromine are the most important.

From The Medicinal Plants of the Philippines by Jerome Beers Thomas

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