caffeine

IPA/ˈkæfiːn/
KK[kæfˈin]IPA/kæˈfiːn/

caffeine — noun

1. a substance in coffee, tea, chocolate, and some drinks that can make you feel mo

1.nounB2
Definition

a substance in coffee, tea, chocolate, and some drinks that can make you feel more awake and active

Example

Priya stops drinking caffeine after dinner so she can sleep well.

verb pattern: drink caffeine

This tea has less caffeine than the strong coffee in our office.

quantity pattern: less caffeine than

Common collocations
  • too much caffeine
  • avoid caffeine
  • drink caffeine
  • caffeine-free coffee
  • high caffeine content
Synonyms
  • stimulant

    A broader word for any substance that makes you feel more awake; caffeine is one kind.

  • pick-me-up

    Informal and less exact; often means something that gives quick energy, not only the chemical itself.

Usage Note

Often used with amount words such as "less," "too much," and "a lot of." Common verbs include "drink," "avoid," "cut down on," and "contain."

Common Mistakes

This soda has many caffeine.
This soda has a lot of caffeine.
'Caffeine' is uncountable, so use 'much' or 'a lot of,' not 'many'.
I need a caffeine before class.
I need some caffeine before class.
Use 'caffeine' for the substance itself, not 'a caffeine' as a countable thing.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

"Caffeine" is the name of the chemical itself. "Stimulant" is wider: it can mean caffeine, medicine, or another substance that makes you feel more alert. "Coffee" and "energy drink" are not synonyms, because they are products that may contain caffeine, not the substance alone. "Decaf" usually means coffee with most of the caffeine removed, so it points to the drink, not the chemical. A useful memory point is: you drink coffee, but you consume caffeine. You can say, "This tea has less caffeine than coffee," but not "This tea has less coffee than coffee" when you mean the chemical.

stimulant ↗coffee ↗energy drink ↗decaf

Common collocations

Nouns

  • caffeine content
  • caffeine intake
  • caffeine level

Phrases

  • cut down on caffeine
  • be sensitive to caffeine
  • give up caffeine

Prepositions

  • without caffeine
  • with caffeine

Etymology

ArabicTurkishFrenchGermanEnglish

English "caffeine" came through German "Kaffein," a scientific name built from a word for coffee plus the chemical ending "-ine." The older coffee word travelled into European languages from Arabic through Turkish and French before reaching English.