-ine 1
a suffix of adjectives of Greek or Latin origin, meaning "of or pertaining to," "of the nature of," "made of," "like": asinine; crystalline; equine; marine. Cf. -in 1 .
[ -inus, -inus -inos ]
-ine 2
1. a suffix, of no assignable meaning, appearing in nouns of Greek, Latin, or French origin: doctrine; famine; routine.
2. a noun suffix used particularly in chemical terms ( bromine; chlorine ), and esp. in names of basic substances ( amine; aniline; caffeine; quinine; quinoline ). Cf. -in 2 .
3. a suffix of feminine nouns ( heroine ), given names ( Clementine ), and titles ( landgravine ). Cf. -ina .
[ -ina, orig. fem. of -inus; also repr. Gk -ine, fem. n. suffix ]