Theobromine
/ˌθiː.əˈbroʊ.miːn/noun
A bitter alkaloid found in cacao, tea, and some other plants, chemically related to caffeine.
Did you know?Theobromine comes from Greek roots meaning “food of the gods,” because cacao was treated as sacred long before modern chemistry isolated its bitter stimulant.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
theos + broma
““god” + “food, nourishment””
Early Modern Scientific Latin
Latin
theobroma
“a term used for cacao or chocolate, literally “food of the gods””
19th Century
Latin
theobrominum
“the chemical alkaloid named from cacao”
Modern English
English
theobromine
“the cacao alkaloid and stimulant”