Altheine

/alˈθiːin/ noun

Definition

Another variant spelling of the alkaloid compound found in althaea plants, using the -ine ending common in chemical nomenclature.

Etymology

From althaea with the chemical suffix -ine, a common English ending for alkaloid and organic compounds, similar to caffeine or morphine.

Kelly Says

Words like caffeine, theine (from tea), and altheine all end in -ine because 19th-century German chemists standardized this suffix (from German -in), and English adopted it wholesale for plant alkaloids.

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