vanillin

American  

[vuh-nil-in, van-l-] / vəˈnɪl ɪn, ˈvæn l- /

Also vanilline

noun

Chemistry.

1. a white, crystalline, water-soluble, alcohol-soluble solid, C 8 H 8 O 3 , obtained by extraction from the vanilla bean or prepared synthetically: used chiefly as a flavoring agent and in perfumery.

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vanillin British  

/ ˈvænɪlɪn, vəˈnɪlɪn /

noun

1. a white crystalline aldehyde found in vanilla and many natural balsams and resins; 3-methoxy-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde. It is a by-product of paper manufacture and is used as a flavouring and in perfumes and pharmaceuticals. Formula: (CH 3 O)(OH)C 6 H 3 CHO

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Etymology

Origin of vanillin

First recorded in 1865–70; vanill(a) + -in ²

Example Sentences

However, laboratory biosynthesis of vanillin from plant-derived VpVAN yields only very small quantities of vanillin, and is, therefore, commercially impractical.

From Science Daily • May 16, 2024

But some artificial flavors are easier to make than others: Vanilla flavoring, she says, gets its characteristic flavor from a single compound, vanillin.

From Salon • May 8, 2024

And some of its molecules are structurally similar to vanillin, the compound in vanilla orchids that’s responsible for the trademark vanilla taste.

From National Geographic • Nov. 15, 2023

The blue-green background of this image is formed by a layer of sulfamic acid crystals, and the starbursts on top are crystallized synthetic vanillin, an artificial vanilla flavoring.

From Scientific American • Mar. 23, 2022

The flavours used include cardamom, cassia, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, lemon, mace, and last but most popular of all, the vanilla pod or vanillin.

From Cocoa and Chocolate Their History from Plantation to Consumer by Knapp, Arthur William