kola nut

American  

noun

1. a brownish seed, about the size of a chestnut, produced by a tropical tree belonging to the genus Cola, containing both caffeine and theobromine: its extract is used in soft drinks.

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kola nut British  

noun

1. a variant spelling of cola nut

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Etymology

Origin of kola nut

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

Local people says the tree grew in the spot where renowned priest Komfo Anokye spat a kola nut on the ground in the early 1700s.

From BBC • Nov. 9, 2023

The “cola” in Coca-Cola is actually the kola nut, the seed of the West African tropical evergreen tree Cola acuminata, which looks like a chestnut kissed by someone wearing Barbie-pink lipstick.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 9, 2023

The Nigerian immigrant sits at the till shrouded in an anorak, chewing on a bitter kola nut.

From Reuters • Apr. 10, 2019

Eight O’Clock Light Show, for example, mixes ginseng and kola nut, among other recruits, into a rum and yuzu combination designed to combat fatigue.

From Washington Post • Mar. 28, 2017

Ugwu placed his hand on his head and struggled to remember what Mama had looked like the last time he saw her, standing by the kola nut tree, refusing to leave home.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie