ayahuasca

[ ah-yuh-wah-skuh ]

noun

1. a woody South American vine, Banisteriopsis caapi, of the malpighia family, having bark that is the source of harmine, a hallucinogenic alkaloid used by Amazon Indians.

ayahuasca

/ ˌaɪəˈwɑːskə /

noun

1. a Brazilian plant, Banisteriopsis caapi, that has winged fruits and yields a powerful hallucinogenic alkaloid sometimes used to treat certain disorders of the central nervous system: family Malpighiaceae

Word History and Origins

Origin of ayahuasca¹

From Latin American Spanish (Ecuador, Peru); from Quechua aya “dead” + huasca “rope”

Word History and Origins

Origin of ayahuasca¹

C20: from Quechua

Example Sentences

It’s not just the meditation retreats and ayahuasca shamans.

From Nautilus

A 1,000 year-old stash found in Bolivia contained cocaine, Anadenanthera and ayahuasca—and must’ve been one hell of a trip.

From Singularity Hub 

The sprawling market there offers everything from fresh fish caught by local villagers to insect larvae and even bottled ayahuasca, a psychoactive brew popular in this part of the world.

From Ozy

Ayahuasca/yagé is a psychoactive brew made from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine.

From The Daily Beast

They make use of a narcotic drink called Ayahuasca, which produces effects similar to those of opium.

From Project Gutenberg