xanthine

• xanthin (dated or uncommon)

From international scientific vocabulary, from French xanthine, reflecting New Latin combining forms: xanth- +‎ -ine; ultimately from Ancient Greek ξανθός (xanthós, “yellow”), because xanthine is yellowish-white.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈzanθiːn/, /ˈzanθaɪn/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈzænθin/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Homophones: xanthein, xanthene

xanthine (countable and uncountable, plural xanthines)

1. (chemistry) Any of a group of alkaloids that include caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine as well as the parent compound, a precursor of uric acid found in many organs of the body.

• There is much confusion between this word and xanthein, and they are often interchanged.

• hypoxanthine
• methylxanthine
• nonxanthine
• xanthine oxidase
• zooxanthine

• xanthein

From Ancient Greek ξανθός (xanthós, “yellow”) +‎ -ine, because xanthine is yellowish-white.

• IPA^(key): /ɡzɑ̃.tin/

• Audio:

  (file)

xanthine f (plural xanthines)

1. xanthine

• “xanthine”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

• Xanthien