quina
quina Lexical Profile
quina Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The bitter, medicinal bark of various South American trees of the genus Cinchona (family Rubiaceae), historically harvested as a natural source of quinine to treat malaria and fevers.
"Spanish colonial physicians exported large quantities of dried quina from the Andean forests to treat malarial fevers in Europe."
Any of several evergreen trees or shrubs of the genus Cinchona native to the tropical Andean forests of South America, or related bitter-barked trees such as Strychnos pseudoquina native to the Brazilian savanna.
"Harvesters carefully stripped segments of bark from the wild quina so the tree could regenerate its protective outer layer."
An aromatized, fortified aperitif wine infused with cinchona bark (quinine) and botanicals, traditionally consumed as a digestive tonic and used in classic cocktails.
"The bartender substituted a French quina for standard vermouth to give the cocktail a crisp, bitter finish."
The small, round, yellow-orange edible fruit of the Brazilian savanna tree Strychnos pseudoquina (family Loganiaceae), containing a sweet, mucilaginous pulp surrounded by a bitter rind.
"Foragers in the Brazilian cerrado gather the ripe fruit of the quina to enjoy its sweet inner pulp while using the tree's bitter bark for traditional tonics."
• Rhymes for quina
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish quina, a shortening of quinaquina, which derives from the Quechua word kinakina referring to the medicinal bark of the cinchona tree.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.