cinchona

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun medicinal bark of cinchona trees; source of quinine and quinidine
  2. noun any of several trees of the genus Cinchona

Etymology

From New Latin cinchona, from Spanish Chinchón. Named by Carl Linnaeus after Ana de Osorio, 4th Countess of Chinchón (1599–1625), the wife of the Spanish Viceroy of Peru, who was allegedly cured of a fever by the bark.

In classic literature

Synonyms

cinchona bark, Peruvian bark, Jesuit's bark

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