yage

noun

ya·​ge ˈyä-​ˌhā How to pronounce yage (audio)
variants or yagé or less commonly yaje or yajé
: ayahuasca
Among students at Columbia University, Michael Taussig has a glamorous reputation. An anthropologist who specializes in South America, he has hung out with shamans and tripped on yage, a potent hallucinogen, dozens of times.Emily Eakin

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from American Spanish yagé, yajé, yahé, perhaps borrowed from a language in the Tukanoan family (spoken by American Indian peoples of southeastern Colombia and adjacent parts of Peru, Ecuador, and Brazil)

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of yage was in 1886

Dictionary Entries Near yage

Cite this Entry

“Yage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/yage. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

yage

noun
ya·​ge
variants or yagé also yaje or yajé
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