kava

noun

ka·va | \ ˈkä-və

Definition of kava

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

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Example Sentences Phrases Containing kava Learn More About kava

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Examples of kava in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Duke reportedly took part in kava-drinking rituals, as did his son, Prince Charles, during his 2018 visit. — Caitlin O'kane, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2021 Gather inside the community house for a kava ceremony with the village elders. — National Geographic, 10 Sep. 2019 Gather inside the community house for a kava ceremony with the village elders. — National Geographic, 10 Sep. 2019 Also try kava, the traditional drink of Fiji made from the root of a pepper plant mixed with water. — Danielle Pointdujour, Essence, 8 Nov. 2019 That involved going to a ceremony where these guys were pounding kava root with a stone and putting it into a drink. — San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Oct. 2019 Gather inside the community house for a kava ceremony with the village elders. — National Geographic, 10 Sep. 2019 Gather inside the community house for a kava ceremony with the village elders. — National Geographic, 10 Sep. 2019 Gather inside the community house for a kava ceremony with the village elders. — National Geographic, 10 Sep. 2019 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'kava.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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“Kava.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kava. Accessed 26 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for kava

kava

noun

ka·va | \ ˈkäv-ə

Medical 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