kava
Americannoun
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a Polynesian shrub, Piper methysticum, of the pepper family, the aromatic roots of which are used to make an intoxicating beverage.
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the beverage made from these roots.
noun
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a Polynesian shrub, Piper methysticum: family Piperaceae
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a drink prepared from the aromatic roots of this shrub
Other Word Forms
- Kavaic adjective
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.
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
I purchase Polynesian kava powder and make a drink the old-fashioned way.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 28, 2021
“But with increased mono-cropping of kava due to its increased value, many areas are being opened up to plant kava with little regard to sustainability”.
From The Guardian • Feb. 19, 2020
Most families in Vanuatu are familiar with kava and grow it outside their homes.
From BBC • Sep. 11, 2019
“Give the kava to the rest,” said Aka�nga to the daughters of Miru.
From The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson, Volume XXI by Stevenson, Robert Louis
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.
