Chincona

/tʃɪnˈkoʊnə/ noun

Definition

A variant spelling of cinchona or chinchona, the tropical tree whose bark yields quinine used in malaria treatment.

Etymology

Another spelling variant of cinchona, based on different transliterations of the word's Spanish origins; all variants trace back to the Countess of Chinchón.

Kelly Says

The multiple spellings of this word (cinchona, chinchona, chincona) show how colonial-era medical knowledge traveled through different European languages before standardizing!

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