Xanthines

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A group of nitrogen-containing compounds found in various plants that include stimulants such as caffeine and theobromine
2. Compounds that act as central nervous system stimulants and are found in products like coffee and chocolate
3. A class of substances that includes commonly ingested stimulants derived from tea, coffee, and cacao

Etymology: Xanthine is a chemist's name built from a Greek colour word. The Greek "xanthós" meant "yellow," and the chemical was named for its yellowish-white appearance. The "-ine" ending is the standard suffix chemists attached to compounds, so the name is essentially "yellowish substance." Its history is a modern scientific coinage rather than anything from ancient Greek writers, who had no concept of this molecule. The plural "xanthines" simply refers to the whole family of related compounds, which share the same core structure. Caffeine and theobromine, the chemicals in coffee, tea and chocolate, belong to this group, which is why the word is used for caffeine-like plant chemicals.