thebaine

[ thee-buh-een, thi-bey-een, -in ]

nounChemistry.
  1. a white, crystalline, slightly water-soluble, poisonous alkaloid, C19H21NO3, present in opium in small quantities, but having a strychninelike rather than a narcotic effect.

Origin of thebaine

1
1890–95; <New Latin thēba(ia) opium of Thebes, Egypt (alteration of Latin Thēbaea, feminine of Thēbaeus Theban) + -ine2

Words Nearby thebaine

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How to use thebaine in a sentence

  • Chloroform dissolves thebaine with difficulty out of both acid and alkaline solutions; petroleum ether extracts it from neither.

    Poisons: Their Effects and Detection | Alexander Wynter Blyth

British Dictionary definitions for thebaine

thebaine

/ (ˈθiːbəˌiːn, θɪˈbeɪiːn, -aɪn) /


noun
  1. a poisonous white crystalline alkaloid, found in opium but without opioid actions. Formula: C 19 H 21 NO 3: Also called: paramorphine

Origin of thebaine

1
C19: from New Latin thebaia opium of Thebes (with reference to Egypt as a chief source of opium) + -ine ²

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