kava

noun

ka·​va ˈkä-və 

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

Examples of kava in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Buzzes Without Booze Image Drinks spiked with cannabis and other mood-altering components like kava, guarana and a brain-calming amino acid known as GABA will explode as interest in alcohol declines, especially among Gen Zers. —Kim Severson, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024

Botanic Tonics' flagship product, feel free CLASSIC, contains both kava root and leaf kratom, the company says. —Lauren Fichten, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2024

The City’s Quiet Crackdown on Kava Bars By Chris Crowley For the handful of New York City kava bars serving a largely sober clientele, the city’s concerns over the effects of kava and kratom has led to closures, trials, and the loss of permits. —Curbed Editors, Curbed, 1 Jan. 2025

However, there was also a mixture of other substances, including a synthetic version of psilocybin, the prescription anticonvulsant drug pregabalin and the supplement kava. —Will Stone, NPR, 21 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Tongan & Marquesan, literally, bitter

First Known Use

1810, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing kava

• kava kava

Medical Definition

kava

noun

ka·​va ˈkäv-ə 

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