caffeine

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From French caféine,[1] from café (“coffee”), or German Caffein, Kaffein[2] (cp. Coffein, Koffein), from Kaffee (“coffee”) (cp. Kaffe, Koffee, Koffe), or Italian caffè (“coffee”) +‎ -ine.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈkæfiːn/, /kæˈfiːn/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Rhymes: -æfiːn, -iːn

Noun

caffeine (usually uncountable, plural caffeines)

  1. An alkaloid, C8H10N4O2, found naturally in tea and coffee plants, which acts as a mild stimulant on the central nervous system. [from 1830]
    Coordinate terms: guaranine, mateine, theine

Derived terms
  • apocaffeine
  • caffeine-free
  • caffeinic
  • caffeine use disorder
  • diethoxyhydroxycaffeine
  • hydroxycaffeine
  • hypocaffeine

Translations

References
  1. “caffeine”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
  2. Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “caffeine”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Further reading

Italian

Noun

caffeine f pl

  1. plural of caffeina
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