The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
n. A bitter white alkaloid, C8H10N4O2, often derived from tea or coffee and used in medicine chiefly as a mild stimulant and to treat certain kinds of headache.
n. An alkaloid, C8H10N4O2, found naturally in tea and coffee plants which acts as a mild stimulant of the central nervous system.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
n. a bitter alkaloid found in coffee and tea that is responsible for their stimulating effects
Word Usage
"While none of the participants were given a drink high in caffeine, the researchers concluded that caffeine is probably more helpful than sugar in staying alert."