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cinchona

Syllabification: (cin·cho·na)
Definition of cinchona

noun

  • an evergreen South American tree or shrub of the bedstraw family, with fragrant flowers and cultivated for its bark.
    • Genus Cinchona, family Rubiaceae: several species
  • (also cinchona bark) the dried bark of the cinchona tree, which is a source of quinine and other medicinal alkaloids.

Origin:

mid 18th century: modern Latin, named after the Countess of Chinchón (died 1641), who was treated with a similar drug in South America

cinchona in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of cinchona in the British & World English dictionary
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