Main Entry:

khat

Variant(s):

also qat or kat \ˈkät\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Arabic qāt

Date:

1858

: a shrub (Catha edulis) of the staff-tree family cultivated in the Middle East and Africa for its leaves and buds that are the source of a habituating stimulant when chewed or used as a tea ; also : its leaves and buds