theobromine

American  

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

noun

Pharmacology.

1. 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.

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theobromine British  

/ -mɪn, ˌθiːəʊˈbrəʊmiːn /

noun

1. 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

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theobromine Scientific  

/ thē′ō-brō′mēn′ /

1. 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 .

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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

Their results suggested that theobromine was the only compound with this specific association.

From Science Daily • Dec. 12, 2025

Unlike cacao beans, which are used to create chocolate, carob is naturally sweet and does not contain the stimulants caffeine or theobromine, which may be appealing to some, and unappealing to others.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 8, 2024

It's well documented that the ingestion of caffeine and theobromine is highly toxic for domestic animals.

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2024

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

From Washington Post • May 4, 2022

Synthetically it may be prepared by the methylation of silver theobromine and silver theophyllin or by boiling heteroxanthine with methyl iodide and potash.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 4 "Bulgaria" to "Calgary" by Various