kava

noun

ka·​va ˈkä-və 

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

Examples of kava in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Traditionally, the kava root was ground into a paste and added to liquid for consumption as a kava drink. —Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2025

The kava infused Kava Haven is designed to provide an alternative to traditional spirits. —Regina Elling, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Aug. 2025

Here, guests have the chance to participate in and witness local traditions, including ceremonies highlighting Fiji’s national drink, kava; feasts prepared in a lovo, a traditional underground oven; and meke, a communal folk dance used to tell stories through song. —Sarah Farag, Travel + Leisure, 12 July 2025

For those familiar with the muddy taste of kava, that's completely absent here. —Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Tongan & Marquesan, literally, bitter

First Known Use

1810, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing kava

• kava kava

Medical Definition

kava

noun

ka·​va ˈkäv-ə 

1

: an Australasian shrubby pepper (Piper methysticum) from whose crushed root an intoxicating beverage is made

also : the beverage

2

: a preparation consisting of the ground dried rhizome and roots of the kava plant that is used as a dietary supplement chiefly to relieve stress, anxiety, and sleeplessness and in folk medicine especially as a diuretic and urogenital antiseptic and that has been linked to cases of severe liver injury