Main Entry: ka·va

Pronunciation: \ˈkä-və\

Function: noun

Etymology: Tongan & Marquesan, literally, bitter

Date: 1810

1 : an Australasian shrubby pepper (Piper methysticum) from whose crushed root an intoxicating beverage is made; also : the beverage made from kava
2 : the dried rhizome and roots of the kava used especially as a dietary supplement chiefly to relieve stress and anxiety