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Webster 1913 Edition

Noun.

[Cf. F.

quassine

. See

(Chem.)

The bitter principle of quassia, extracted as a white crystalline substance; – formerly called

quassite

[Written also

quassīin

, and

quassine

quassin ‎(countable and uncountable, plural quassins)

(organic chemistry) A very bitter triterpenoid lactone, extracted as white crystals from the quassia tree, used in traditional Chinese medicine