Main Entry: pey·o·te

Pronunciation: \pā-ˈō-tē\

Variant(s): also pey·otl \-ˈō-t^əl\

Function: noun

Etymology: Mexican Spanish peyote, from Nahuatl peyotl peyote cactus

Date: 1849

1 : a hallucinogenic drug containing mescaline that is derived from peyote buttons and used especially in the religious ceremonies of some American Indian peoples
2 : a small low spineless cactus (Lophophora williamsii) of the southwestern United States and Mexico having rounded stems covered with jointed tubercles —called also mescal

[peyote illustration]