cinchona

American  

[sing-koh-nuh, sin-] / sɪŋˈkoʊ nə, sɪn- /

noun

1. any of several trees or shrubs of the genus Cinchona, of the madder family, especially C. calisaya, native to the Andes, cultivated there and in Java and India for its bark, which yields quinine and other alkaloids.

2. Also called Jesuit's bark, Peruvian bark.  the medicinal bark of such trees or shrubs.

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cinchona British  

/ sɪŋˈkɒnɪk, sɪŋˈkəʊnə /

noun

1. any tree or shrub of the South American rubiaceous genus Cinchona, esp C. calisaya, having medicinal bark

2. Also called: cinchona bark.   Peruvian bark.   calisaya.   china bark.  the dried bark of any of these trees, which yields quinine and other medicinal alkaloids

3. any of the drugs derived from cinchona bark

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cinchonic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of cinchona

< New Latin, the Linnaean genus name, after Francisca Enriques de Ribera, Countess of Chinchón (died 1641), who was associated with the introduction of quinine into Europe, in several accounts now considered spurious

Example Sentences

CINCHONA, the generic name of a number of trees which belong to the natural order Rubiaceae.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 3 "Chitral" to "Cincinnati" by Various