Cinchona (Noun)
Meaning 1
Medicinal bark of cinchona trees; source of quinine and quinidine.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The medicinal properties of cinchona bark have been known for centuries, and it was a highly sought-after commodity in the 17th and 18th centuries.
- The indigenous people of the Andes used cinchona bark to treat malaria and other fevers long before the arrival of European colonizers.
- Cinchona trees are native to the tropical regions of South America, and their bark has been used for centuries to produce quinine and other medicinal compounds.
- The discovery of the antimalarial properties of cinchona bark is credited to the Spanish botanist and physician Pedro Cieza de León in the 16th century.
- Cinchona bark is still used today in some traditional medicine practices, although modern pharmaceuticals have largely replaced it as a source of quinine and quinidine.
Synonyms
Meaning 2
Any of several trees of the genus Cinchona.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The cinchona tree is native to the Andes mountains in South America and has been used for centuries to treat malaria.
- Cinchona trees are evergreen and can grow up to 15 meters tall, with a broad trunk and a rounded crown.
- The bark of the cinchona tree contains quinine, a natural antimalarial compound that has been used to treat the disease for centuries.
- Cinchona trees are cultivated in many tropical regions around the world, including Asia and Africa, for their medicinal properties.
- The cinchona tree was first introduced to Europe in the 17th century, where it was used to treat malaria and other fevers.