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

The theory was that if someone could add oxygen to aniline—the other component in quinine—maybe quinine would result. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Aug. 2026

Sonnenshine also spoke of Gemma’s instinct to hoard quinine during the fever & ague episode as one that reflects modern-day pandemic times. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 9 July 2026

The 27 ingredients that go into making the amaro are very interesting from quinine, myrrh and others. — Em Sauter, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2026

There was a glowing line that trailed through them, all the way back to that first early Pinay, a twentieth‑century almost‑girl, being taught by a white woman how to administer quinine to a malaria patient. — Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2025

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

Rhymes for quinine

• affine
• airline
• align
• aline
• assign
• baseline
• beamline
• benign
• bloodline
• bovine
• brucine
• byline

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