cinchona tree
Definition
Noun: 1. A medicinal tree: A small tree (Cinchona spp.) native to South America, known for its large, glossy leaves, fragrant pink flowers, and most importantly, its bark, which is the source of quinine, a compound historically vital for treating malaria.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- The cinchona tree is native to the Andean forests.
- For centuries, the bark of the cinchona tree was the only known cure for malaria.
- Plantations were established in Asia to cultivate the cinchona tree for its medicinal properties.
Advanced Usage
- "Cinchona bark": Refers specifically to the dried bark of the cinchona tree, used as a source of quinine and other alkaloids.
- The extraction of quinine from cinchona bark revolutionized tropical medicine.
Variants and Related Words
- Cinchona (n): The genus name for this group of trees; also commonly used to refer to the tree or its bark.
- Quinine is derived from cinchona.
- Quinine (n): The primary antimalarial alkaloid found in cinchona bark.
- Tonic water contains a small amount of quinine.
- Fever tree (n): A historical common name for the cinchona tree, referencing its use against febrile (fever-causing) diseases like malaria.
Synonyms
- Quinine tree: A direct synonym highlighting the tree's most famous product.
- Jesuit's bark: A historical term for cinchona bark, referencing the Jesuit missionaries who helped introduce it to Europe.
Noun
-
small tree of Ecuador and Peru having very large glossy leaves and large panicles of fragrant pink flowers; cultivated for its medicinal bark
Khám phá thêm
Các từ liên quan
Từ đồng nghĩa
