quinine

noun

qui·​nine ˈkwī-ˌnīn 

also

ˈkwi- 

 or  kwi-ˈnīn,

 or  ki-ˈnēn,

 or  kwi-ˈnēn

1

: a bitter crystalline alkaloid C₂₀H₂₄N₂O₂ from cinchona bark used in medicine

2

: a salt of quinine used especially as an antipyretic, antimalarial, and bitter tonic

Examples of quinine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Recommended for European travelers and colonists heading to the East in the late 1800s, quinine was initially added to various alcoholic beverages to mask its bitterness. —Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 23 Dec. 2024

Common antimalarial drugs that cause tinnitus include quinine, hydroxychloroquine, and chloroquine. —Ayesha Gulzar, Verywell Health, 13 Dec. 2024

Both start as regular wine, to which producers add botanicals (like wormwood and quinine), extra alcohol and some kind of sweet syrup, to create a red or white version. —Sofia Perez, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024

The bitter punch of quinine, the distinctive essence found in tonic water, hit the rats one second before the cocaine. —New Atlas, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Spanish quina cinchona, from Quechua kina bark

First Known Use

1825, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing quinine

• quinine water

Kids Definition

quinine

noun

qui·​nine ˈkwī-ˌnīn 

 also  ˈkwin-ˌīn

: a bitter white drug obtained from cinchona bark and used especially to treat malaria

Medical Definition

quinine

noun

qui·​nine

ˈkwī-ˌnīn also ˈkwin-ˌīn, especially British kwin-ˈēn, ˈkwin-ēn

: a bitter crystalline alkaloid C₂₀H₂₄N₂O₂ obtained from cinchona bark that is used as a flavoring agent, has antipyretic and analgesic properties, and is administered orally in the form of its salts (as the hydrated sulfate (C₂₀H₂₄N₂O₂)₂·H₂SO₄·2H₂O) as an antimalarial