Definition of "terpene" [ter•pene]

• Any of various unsaturated hydrocarbons, C10H16, found in essential oils and oleoresins of plants such as conifers and used in organic syntheses. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The aroma of ordinary hops is characterized by the terpene myrcene, which is also found in bay leaf and verbena, and is woody and resinous."
• "Some allergies are triggered by terpene, which is found in the oil or sap of live evergreen trees, wreaths and garlands."
• "Morphological and chemical characters, such as needle tip shape, stomatal arrangement, and terpene content, separate the two white fir varieties."