terpene
(originally) any of a class of monocyclic hydrocarbons of the formula C10H16, obtained from plants.
this class or any of its oxygenated derivatives, any hydrocarbon from the same source having the formula C5H8(hemiterpene ), the formula C10H16 with an aliphatic structure (acyclic terpene ) or two-ringed structure (bicyclic terpene ), the formula C15H24(sesquiterpene ), etc., and any of their oxygenated derivatives.
Origin of terpene
1Other words from terpene
- ter·pene·less, adjective
- ter·pe·nic [tur-pee-nik], /tɜrˈpi nɪk/, adjective
Words Nearby terpene
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How to use terpene in a sentence
Chemically, the camphors may be divided into two main groups, according to the nature of the corresponding hydrocarbon or terpene.
Hence it is a hydrocarbon of the terpene series, having the general formula CnH2n-4.
It has not yet been converted again into terpene, but the connection is sufficiently proved.
The principal constituents of the oil are a terpene, asarol alcohol, another alcohol, and methyl eugenol.
The Handbook of Soap Manufacture | W. H. SimmonsThey are usually present in the plant oil in mixtures with each other or with a terpene.
The Chemistry of Plant Life | Roscoe Wilfred Thatcher
British Dictionary definitions for terpene
/ (ˈtɜːpiːn) /
any one of a class of unsaturated hydrocarbons, such as the carotenes, that are found in the essential oils of many plants. Their molecules contain isoprene units and have the general formula (C 5 H 8) n
Origin of terpene
1Derived forms of terpene
- terpenic, adjective
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
Scientific definitions for terpene
[ tûr′pēn′ ]
Any of a class of hydrocarbons consisting of two or more isoprene (C5H8) units joined together. Simple terpenes are found in the essential oils and resins of plants such as conifers. Turpentine, for example, is such an oil. More complex terpenes include vitamin A, carotenoid pigments (such as lycopene), squalene, and rubber. Terpenes are used in organic synthesis.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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