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caffeine

/kæˈfin/
/kæˈfin/
IPA guide

Good morning! Caffeine keeps you awake! It’s that zippy chemical found in coffee, tea, and sodas. In fact, it comes from the German word for “coffee.”

Caffeine is a chemical found naturally in the seeds of some fruits and nuts, like coffee beans and kola nuts. It’s a stimulant, so it makes people feel alert. People love to start their mornings with coffee to help them perk up for the day. The word comes from the German Kaffein, coined in 1830 by a chemist who combined the word for "coffee," Kaffee, with -in, a German chemical suffix.

Definitions of caffeine
  1. noun
    a bitter alkaloid found in coffee and tea that is responsible for their stimulating effects
    synonyms: caffein
    see moresee less
    type of:
    alkaloid
    natural bases containing nitrogen found in plants
Pronunciation
US
/kæˈfin/
UK
/kæˈfin/
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