Xanthine Definition
zănthēn, -thĭn
noun
A white, crystalline, nitrogenous compound, C5H4N4O2, resembling uric acid: it is present in blood, urine, and certain plants.
Webster's New World
Any of various derivatives of this compound.
Webster's New World
(chemistry) Any of a group of alkaloids, that include caffeine, theophylline, and theobromine as well as the parent compound, a precursor of uric acid found in many organs of the body.
Wiktionary
Other Word Forms of Xanthine
Noun
Singular:
xanthine
Plural:
xanthinesOrigin of Xanthine
From French xanthine, ultimately from Ancient Greek ξανθός (xanthós), "yellow", because xanthine is yellowish-white.
From Wiktionary
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