Definition

A bitter substance obtained from the bark of certain trees, used mainly to treat malaria.

Example

Cinchonine is often used in medicine as an antimalarial drug.

Conversation

I read that cinchonine is used as an antimalarial agent.

Really? I had no idea it came from cinchona trees.

Yeah, it's interesting how some plants can provide such powerful medicines.

Totally! Nature has amazing ways of helping us.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Cinchonine is derived from 'Cinchona' (the genus name of the tree from which quinine is obtained, named after the Countess of Chinchón) and '-ine' (a suffix used in chemistry to denote substances). The word refers to a specific alkaloid derived from the bark of the Cinchona tree, used for its medicinal properties.

Memory Tip

Think of the Cinchona tree, which gives us cinchonine, and remember that the '-ine' suffix indicates it's a chemical substance.

Visually Confused Words