chinchona

Thân thiện

The botanist examines the bark of a chinchona tree in the forest.

Definition

Noun: 1. A tree of the genus Cinchona: Any of several evergreen trees native to the Andes mountains in South America, known for their medicinal bark. * The forest was home to several species of chinchona. * Chinchona bark has been used for centuries in traditional medicine.

Usage Notes

• The word "chinchona" is a variant spelling of the more common "cinchona." Both refer to the same genus of trees.
• It is primarily used in botanical, historical, or pharmacological contexts.
• It is a countable noun (e.g., , ).

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used metonymically to refer to the medicinal bark itself or the quinine alkaloid derived from it.
  • The shipment of chinchona arrived for processing. (Here, "chinchona" likely refers to the bark.)
• It can appear in historical contexts discussing colonial trade, medicine, or the treatment of malaria.
  • The search for chinchona seeds was a major 19th-century endeavor.

Variants and Related Words

• Cinchona: The standard and more frequent spelling of the word.
• Quinine: The primary antimalarial alkaloid extracted from the bark of the chinchona tree.
• Peruvian bark: A historical name for chinchona bark.
• Jesuit's bark: Another historical name, referencing the Catholic order that helped introduce it to Europe.

Synonyms

• Cinchona tree
• Fever tree (a common name due to its use against febrile illnesses like malaria)

Related Phrases and Contexts

• Chinchona bark: The specific part of the tree with medicinal value.
  • He was treated with a powder made from chinchona bark.
• Genus Cinchona: The scientific classification for this group of trees.
  • The genus Cinchona belongs to the Rubiaceae family.

Học thuật

Noun

1. any of several trees of the genus Cinchona

Từ đồng nghĩa

• cinchona