Cinchona
/sɪnˈkoʊ.nə/noun
A South American tree or shrub whose bark yields quinine and related compounds used to treat malaria.
Did you know?Cinchona bark became famous in Europe as a malaria treatment after quinine was isolated from it, but the name itself was popularized from a 17th-century story linking the plant to the Countess of Chinchón.
Etymological Timeline
17th Century
Spanish
Cinchona
“A name applied to the bark-bearing tree, popularized in honor of the Countess of Chinchón in a traditional but historically uncertain story.”
17th Century
Latin
Cinchona
“The botanical Latin form used for the medicinal tree genus.”
17th Century
Spanish
Chinchón
“The surname/title associated with the Countess of Chinchón, linked by tradition to the tree's name.”
18th Century
French/English
cinchona
“The medicinal bark and the tree that produced it, especially valued as an antimalarial.”
Modern English
English
cinchona
“The genus of tropical American trees and shrubs whose bark is a source of quinine.”
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