Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A cultivated shrub (Piper methysticum) of the Pacific islands, having heart-shaped leaves. It is widely grown for its roots, which contain psychoactive chemicals.
- noun A narcotic beverage prepared from the roots of this plant, used traditionally for social and religious purposes.
- noun A dietary supplement derived from the roots of this plant, used as a sedative.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A Polynesian shrub, Macropiper latifolium (Piper methysticum), of the pepper family.
- noun A beverage derived from this plant.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Bot.) A species of Macropiper (
Macropiper methysticum ), the long pepper, from the root of which an intoxicating beverage is made by the Polynesians, by a process of mastication; also, the beverage itself.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A
plant from the South Pacific, Piper methysticum. - noun An intoxicating
beverage made from the kava plant.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun an alcoholic drink made from the aromatic roots of the kava shrub
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The findings underscore the need to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of such therapies, especially given the findings that some Americans are continuing to try products such as kava kava, which is used to treat anxiety but has been linked to possible liver problems, officials said.
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After the feast was over, we had kava, and the calling of the kava was a very elaborate affair, and I thought had like to have made
Vailima Letters 2005
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Again a beautiful tappa cloth was spread for me, and then ten maidens entered, and, sitting in a semi-circle, began to chew a root called kava, which, when sufficiently masticated, they returned into a calabash, water being poured on the result.
The Project Gutenberg Complete Works of Gilbert Parker Gilbert Parker 1897
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Again a beautiful tappa cloth was spread for me, and then ten maidens entered, and, sitting in a semi-circle, began to chew a root called kava, which, when sufficiently masticated, they returned into a calabash, water being poured on the result.
Cumner's Son and Other South Sea Folk — Complete Gilbert Parker 1897
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Again a beautiful tappa cloth was spread for me, and then ten maidens entered, and, sitting in a semi-circle, began to chew a root called kava, which, when sufficiently masticated, they returned into a calabash, water being poured on the result.
Cumner's Son and Other South Sea Folk — Volume 04 Gilbert Parker 1897
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Such products include black cohosh and red clover, used by menopausal women to reduce hot flashes, and kava, which is used to treat anxiety and insomnia.
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Consumers could be putting their health at risk by using products like black cohosh and red clover, used by menopausal women to reduce hot flashes, and kava, which is used to treat anxiety and insomnia.
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Consumers could be putting their health at risk by using products like black cohosh and red clover, used by menopausal women to reduce hot flashes, and kava, which is used to treat anxiety and insomnia.
Gaea Times (by Simple Thoughts) Breaking News and incisive views 24/7 2010
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An expert on herbal products and remedies, she said "If you have a predisposition to liver disease and are on medications that might affect the liver, then kava, which is also in some of these drinks, might not be the best for you."
CBS 4 - South Florida's Source for Breaking News, Weather, and Sports 2010
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Such products include black cohosh and red clover, used by menopausal women to reduce hot flashes, and kava, which is used to treat anxiety and insomnia.
PhysOrg.com - latest science and technology news stories 2010
chained_bear commented on the word kava
"'...somebody told Emily how the kava she had drunk was made.'
"'Then she is now wiser than I am.'
"'Why, they sit round an enormous pot, chewing kava-root, and when it is chewed enough they spit it in, going on until there are gallons of it; and then they let it ferment. The notion made her vomit; though it is true she had already eaten an extraordinary amount of sugar-cane...'"
--Patrick O'Brian, The Truelove, 174
March 11, 2008
lea commented on the word kava
Lithuanian language for coffee.
March 7, 2009
qroqqa commented on the word kava
The Czech and Slovak is actually káva.
March 7, 2009
rolig commented on the word kava
Accentless, this is coffee in Slovene, as well as in BCSM (Bosno-Croato-Serbo-Montenegrin).
March 7, 2009