cinchona noun. [sɪŋ'kǝʊnǝ] Also chinchona [tʃɪn'tʃǝʊnǝ]. M18.
[mod. Latin, from Countess of Chinchón (d. 1641), vicereine of Peru, who introduced the drug to Spain.]
1. An evergreen tree or shrub of the S. American genus Cinchona, of the madder family, with fragrant flowers. M18.

2. = cinchona bark below. Also, a drug made from cinchona bark. L18.

Comb.:
cinchona bark the dried bark of a cinchona (as a source of quinine and other medicinal alkaloids).

■ cinchonicine,

■ cinchonidine nouns cinchona alkaloids isomeric with cinchonine M19.

■ cinchonine noun an alkaloid, C₁₉H₂₂ON₂, with febrifuge properties, found with quinine in cinchona bark E19.

■ cinchonism noun poisoning due to excessive ingestion of cinchona alkaloids M19.

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