kava
Americannoun
-
a Polynesian shrub, Piper methysticum, of the pepper family, the aromatic roots of which are used to make an intoxicating beverage.
-
the beverage made from these roots.
noun
-
a Polynesian shrub, Piper methysticum: family Piperaceae
-
a drink prepared from the aromatic roots of this shrub
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of kava
1810–20; < Polynesian (first recorded from Tonga Islands)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Photos showed Albanese sipping Fiji's traditional kava drink at a welcome ceremony before the alliance was signed.
From Barron's ● Jul. 6, 2026
In 1915, Hollmann was the acting assistant surgeon at Hawaii’s Leprosy Investigation Station when he was given a copy of Ball’s master’s thesis, a 44-page analysis of the kava plant’s chemical properties.
From New York Times ● Apr. 8, 2023
To prepare kava the traditional way, you will need a muslin bag, which you can find at craft stores, or a mesh kava bag.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 28, 2021
“In areas with tree cover, the kava was saved since the trees created natural windbreaks, branches that fell formed a protective blanket. But where there were no trees the crops were completely uprooted,” he said.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 19, 2020
I hope some day to offer you a bowl of kava there, or a slice of a pine-apple, or some lemonade from my own hedge.
From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 25 (of 25) by Andrew Lang
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
