sesquiterpene

American

[ses-kwi-tur-peyn] / ˌsɛs kwɪˈtɜr peɪn /

noun

Chemistry.

terpene

sesquiterpene British

/ ˌsɛskwɪˈtɜːpiːn /

noun

any of certain terpenes whose molecules contain one and a half times as many atoms as a normal terpene. Formula: C 15 H 24

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of sesquiterpene

First recorded in 1885–90; sesqui- + terpene

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Surprisingly, the identified karrikin receptor showed the ability to selectively perceive signaling from one type of sesquiterpene compound but not its mirror image, a trait called "stereospecificity."

From Science Daily • Mar. 21, 2024

The most important are geraniol, citronellol, phenyl ethyl alcohol, together with nerol, linalol, citral, nonylic aldehyde, eugenol, a sesquiterpene alcohol, and the paraffin stearopten.

From The Handbook of Soap Manufacture by Simmons, W. H.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023