quinquina

The pharmacist prepares a tincture from quinquina bark.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A tree or shrub of the genus Cinchona: "quinquina" refers to any plant belonging to the genus Cinchona, native to South America, whose bark contains quinine and other alkaloids used to treat malaria.
   • The bark of such a plant: "quinquina" can also denote the dried bark of Cinchona trees, historically used as a source of quinine and in traditional medicine as a tonic or febrifuge.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The quinquina tree is cultivated in parts of Southeast Asia for its medicinal bark. (A Cinchona tree grown for its bark.)
  • In the 19th century, quinquina was a crucial treatment for malaria. (The bark of the Cinchona tree used as medicine.)

Advanced Usage

• "Quinquina wine": a type of fortified wine or aperitif infused with bark, used for its bitter, tonic properties.
  • They drank a glass of quinquina wine before dinner to stimulate their appetite. (An aperitif made with Cinchona bark.)

Variants and Related Words

• Quinine (n): a bitter alkaloid derived from Cinchona bark, used as an antimalarial drug.

  • Quinine was first isolated from quinquina in the 1820s. (The active compound from the bark.)

• Cinchona (n): the scientific genus name for quinquina trees.

  • The cinchona tree is also known as quinquina. (The botanical term for the same plant.)

Synonyms

• Cinchona: the formal botanical name for the plant.
• Jesuit's bark: a historical term for the bark of trees, referencing its use by Jesuit missionaries.

Related Idioms

• "Bitter as quinquina": an expression describing something extremely bitter, referencing the bark's strong taste.
  • This medicine is as bitter as quinquina. (Very bitter.)