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Definition of "cymene" [cy•mene]

  • Any of three colorless isomeric liquid hydrocarbons, C10H14, obtained chiefly from the essential oils of cumin and thyme and used in the manufacture of synthetic resins. (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.

Use "cymene" in a sentence
  • "Looking at a dozen or so components, they determined that the main culprits in the tobacco malodor, after nicotine, include substituted pyrazines and pyridines (compounds that contribute a burning, smoky smell) and para-cymene (lending green or herbal notes)."
  • "The fact that rosin spirit yields a different cymene is, he considers, an argument against the view which has more than once been put forward, that rosin is directly derived from terpene."
  • "Finally, Dr Armstrong mentioned that the volatile portion of the distillate from the non-volatile product of the oxidation of oil of turpentine in moist air furnishes ordinary cymene when treated in the manner above described."