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tannin

tannin

9 6.9
A natural part of some plants that makes wine or tea taste dry and bitter and helps make leather
  • noun
  • /ˈtænɪn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : tanino
  • Flavors of red plums and blueberries give a rich expression of round tannins and a long, smooth finish.
  • tannin levels
  • acid and tannin
  • phytic acid and tannin

So the less ripe the fruit is, the higher it's tannin concentration.

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Examples

  • The best bottles have fine tannins that enhance the wine's flavor and support aging.

  • We don't get the tannin they do in Bordeaux.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • So the less ripe the fruit is, the higher it's tannin concentration.

  • You know, tea actually contains a higher tannin content than coffee, so it's more likely to stain your teeth.

  • So, what is it about the tannin in tea that makes tea a good hardwood floor cleaner?

    Blog text (4)
  • The 85% bar has a healthy hit of tannins, with strong oak/mahogany notes.

    Blog text (21)
  • You don't want a red with lots of tannins with fish because it will make the fish taste metallic.

    Blog text (6)
  • In black tea, active ingredients included tannins and theaflavins, in addition to EGCG.

    Academic text (2003)
  • There were ripe tannins from the start with some plum and strawberry flavors.

    Blog text (25)
  • There was texture from tannins, flavors of dried herbs, a waxy note, and tart berries.

    Blog text (32)

Synonyms

tannic acid
vstannin
  • Specialized
1 6.7

A natural plant substance people use to treat leather and make skin firmer

is a broader group of plant substances that include those causing astringency in foods

How Tannic

tannin
  • Specialized
9 6.9
quebracho
  • Specialized
9.9
extract
44 3.5
infusion
6 4.2

Surface Forms

tannin singular
tannins plural

Morphology

tannin = tan (semi-transparent) = tan + in

The word is morphologically related to 'tan' (the process of tanning) with the chemical/derivational suffix '-in', so its origin is interpretable, but the modern technical meaning (and the suffix) may not be obvious to all learners.

Etymology

Tannin comes from old words connected to tan, which means 'to make leather' by using oak bark and other plants. So tannin is the plant 'juice' used to 'tan' hides and it is also what gives wine and tea their dry, mouth‑puckering taste.