Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A shrub or woody vine (Paullinia cupana) of Amazonia whose seeds are high in caffeine and other alkaloids.
  • noun A preparation made from the seeds of this plant, used in beverages and as an herbal medicine for its stimulant and tonic properties.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A paste prepared from the pounded seeds of Paullinia sorbilis, a climbing sapindaceous shrub of Brazil, which in the form of rolls or cakes is extensively used in that country for both food and medicine (it contains caffein), and is employed especially in the preparation of a refreshing drink. Also called guarana-bread.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Med.) A preparation from the seeds of Paullinia sorbilis, a woody climber of Brazil, used in making an astringent drink, and also in the cure of headache.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A tree, scientific name Paullinia cupana, native to Venezuela and northern Brazil.
  • noun The fruit from this tree.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Brazilian Portuguese guaraná, from Tupí *wara’na.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Portuguese guaraná, from Sateré-Mawé warana.

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Examples

  • The “new” supplement Bill had discovered was actually a well-known South American herb called guarana.

    Earl Mindell’s New Herb Bible Earl Mindell 2008

  • The vodka isn't flavored, and you can't taste the guarana, which is a South American plant rich in caffeine.

    Bubbles, Flavoring or a Caffeine Kick 2008

  • The “new” supplement Bill had discovered was actually a well-known South American herb called guarana.

    Earl Mindell’s New Herb Bible Earl Mindell 2008

  • The “new” supplement Bill had discovered was actually a well-known South American herb called guarana.

    Earl Mindell’s New Herb Bible Earl Mindell 2008

  • The “new” supplement Bill had discovered was actually a well-known South American herb called guarana.

    Earl Mindell’s New Herb Bible Earl Mindell 2008

  • You look through all the different herbal ingredients, and one good example is guarana, which is present in products like Red Bull and Rock Star and Full Throttle.

    CNN Transcript Nov 4, 2006 2006

  • Mr. Tuttle calls guarana particularly worrisome because it acts as a stimulant, like caffeine.

    NYT > Home Page By JANE E. BRODY 2011

  • Mr. Tuttle calls guarana particularly worrisome because it acts as a stimulant, like caffeine.

    NYT > Home Page By JANE E. BRODY 2011

  • Mr. Tuttle calls guarana particularly worrisome because it acts as a stimulant, like caffeine.

    NYT > Home Page By JANE E. BRODY 2011

  • Mr. Tuttle calls guarana particularly worrisome because it acts as a stimulant, like caffeine.

    NYT > Home Page By JANE E. BRODY 2011

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