kava

kava (KAH-vah) - n., a Polynesian shrub (Piper methysticum) with heart-shaped leaves; an narcotic beverage made from the roots of this plant.


Also called kava kava. Extracts from the root are also used as an herbal sedative, but be careful of possible liver damage from heavy use. The English name (first recorded in 1810) comes from Tongan, but there are cognates throughout the Polynesian languages.


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---L.