Guaranine

/ɡwɑːrəˈniːn/ noun

Definition

An alternative spelling of guaranin; the chemical compound caffeine found naturally in guaraná plant berries.

Etymology

Variant spelling of guaranin from Portuguese guaraná and the chemical suffix -ine. Both -in and -ine endings were used interchangeably in 19th-century chemical nomenclature.

Kelly Says

Scientists used to argue about whether to call it guaranin or guaranine—a reminder that before standardized chemical naming, different countries and chemists had their own spellings!

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