guayusa

[ gwahy-yoo-suh, wahy- ]

noun
  1. a tree, Ilex guayusa, native to the rainforest in the upper Amazon river basin.

  2. the leaves of this tree, containing caffeine, theobromine, theophylline, and other compounds, prepared as a tea and used as a stimulant.

Origin of guayusa

1
First recorded in 1850–55; from Spanish, likely from a Jívaro language

Words Nearby guayusa

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

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