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
Talk to your healthcare provider before consuming kava.
—
Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 16 Sep. 2024
However, despite some evidence linking kava to a slight reduction in anxiety, the herbal supplement has been associated with a risk of severe liver injury.
—Lindsey Desoto, Health, 15 July 2024
Hallucinations, yes — requiring blood transfusions, no. FDA says their testing found some compounds from the kava plant, which also does not cause these serious side effects.
—Robert Johnson, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2024
Ceremonies steeped in centuries of history are still extant today with few more alluring than the royal kava ceremony.
—Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for kava 
Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 16 Sep. 2024
However, despite some evidence linking kava to a slight reduction in anxiety, the herbal supplement has been associated with a risk of severe liver injury.
—Lindsey Desoto, Health, 15 July 2024
Hallucinations, yes — requiring blood transfusions, no. FDA says their testing found some compounds from the kava plant, which also does not cause these serious side effects.
—Robert Johnson, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2024
Ceremonies steeped in centuries of history are still extant today with few more alluring than the royal kava ceremony.
—Rob Crossan, JSTOR Daily, 21 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for kava
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kava.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Kava.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kava. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical 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
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