quinine
/kwi'ni:n/ Cách viết khác : (quinia) /'kwiniə/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: A bitter, crystalline alkaloid compound extracted from the bark of cinchona trees. It is primarily used as a medicinal drug for the treatment and prevention of malaria.
Usage
- Medical Treatment: Quinine is used to treat malaria, a disease caused by parasites transmitted by mosquitoes.
- Historical Use: For centuries, it was the primary treatment for malaria before the development of synthetic alternatives.
- Flavoring Agent: Due to its intensely bitter taste, it is sometimes used in very small quantities to flavor beverages like tonic water.
Examples
- The doctor prescribed quinine to combat the patient's malaria infection.
- Quinine has a very distinctive bitter flavor.
- The discovery of quinine in cinchona bark was a major breakthrough in tropical medicine.
Advanced Usage
- "Quinine therapy": Refers to the use of quinine as a medical treatment.
- Quinine therapy is still crucial in regions with chloroquine-resistant malaria.
- "Quinine sulfate": A common salt form of the alkaloid used in medication.
- The patient was given quinine sulfate tablets.
Variants and Related Words
- Quinidine (noun): A stereoisomer of quinine, used primarily as an antiarrhythmic heart medication.
- Cinchonism (noun): A pathological condition caused by an overdose of quinine, characterized by symptoms like tinnitus, headache, nausea, and visual disturbances.
Synonyms
- Antimalarial (noun/adjective): A substance used to prevent or treat malaria. (This is a broader category; quinine is a specific antimalarial.)
- Alkaloid (noun): A class of naturally occurring organic compounds that contain basic nitrogen atoms, many of which have pharmacological effects.
Related Phrases/Idioms
(Note: Quinine itself does not commonly feature in idioms. Its primary associations are medical and historical.) - "A dose of quinine": Can be used metaphorically to refer to something unpleasant but necessary. - The harsh criticism was a bitter dose of quinine, but it helped improve the project.
Noun
- a bitter alkaloid extracted from chinchona bark; used in malaria therapy