kava

ka·va

noun \ˈkäv-ə\

Definition of KAVA

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