Meanings
nounPeruvian bark (uncountable)
- historicaluncountableCinchona bark, chiefly as used in medicine.First known use 17th c.
[H]e will soon begin to like & wish for this refreshment, & will with the use of Peruvian Bark & Steel, regain his Tranquillity of Mind & Body.
1789 January 17, Hester Thrale Piozzi, Thraliana
Synonyms & antonyms
nounmedicinal bark of cinchona trees; source of quinine and quinidine
Broader
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From the origin of cinchonaceous trees in the forests of Peru.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
Peruvian bark. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Peruvian%20bark
MLA
“Peruvian bark.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Peruvian%20bark. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Peruvian bark,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Peruvian%20bark.
Source: Peruvian bark on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.