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caffeine

Syllabification: (caf·feine)

Translate caffeine | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of caffeine

noun

  • a crystalline compound that is found especially in tea and coffee plants and is a stimulant of the central nervous system.
    • An alkaloid, 1,3,7-trimethylxanthine; chemical formula: C8H10N4O2

Origin:

mid 19th century: from French caféine, from café 'coffee'

Caffeine should be spelled with a double f, then -ei-; it does not follow the rule i before e except after c.

caffeine in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of caffeine in the British & World English dictionary
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