name
Meaning 1
A surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
kava
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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UK: /kɑː.və/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -ɑːvə
noun
Meaning 2
A plant from the South Pacific, Piper methysticum.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
An intoxicating beverage made from the kava plant.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
an alcoholic drink made from the aromatic roots of the kava shrub
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: kavakava
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: alcohol, alcoholic drink, alcoholic beverage, intoxicant, inebriant
History
Etymology
Transliteration of Ukrainian Кава (Kava) or a phonetic respelling of Polish Kawa, from kawa (“jackdaw”); ultimately from Proto-Slavic *kavъka (“jackdaw”).
Etymology tree Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *wakaʀ Proto-Oceanic *kawaʀ Proto-Polynesian *kawa Tongan kavader. English kava From Tongan kava, in turn from Proto-Polynesian *kawa. Doublet of ʻawa, ava, kawa, and yava.
Across languages
Translations
42 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Big Nambas: m'aləh — the plant Piper methysticum
- Czech: kava — the plant Piper methysticum
- Esperanto: kavao — the plant Piper methysticum
- Fijian: yaqona — the plant Piper methysticum
- French: kava — the plant Piper methysticum
- French: kawa — the plant Piper methysticum
- Hawaiian: ʻawa — the plant Piper methysticum
- Hiw: ga — the plant Piper methysticum
- Japanese: カヴァ (kava) — the plant Piper methysticum
- Lo-Toga: gi — the plant Piper methysticum
- Māori: kawa — the plant Piper methysticum
- Mwotlap: ga — the plant Piper methysticum
- Pohnpeian: sakau — the plant Piper methysticum
- Romanian: kava — the plant Piper methysticum
- Russian: пе́рец опьяня́ющий (pérec opʹjanjájuščij) — the plant Piper methysticum
- Russian: ка́ва (káva) — the plant Piper methysticum
- Russian: кава-ка́ва (kava-káva) — the plant Piper methysticum
- Samoan: ʻava — the plant Piper methysticum
- Tongan: kava — the plant Piper methysticum
- Arabic: كَافَا (kāfā) — intoxicating beverage made from the kava plant
- Big Nambas: m'aləh — intoxicating beverage made from the kava plant
- Bislama: kava — intoxicating beverage made from the kava plant
- Chinese Mandarin: 卡瓦 (kǎwǎ) — intoxicating beverage made from the kava plant
- Chuukese: sakau — intoxicating beverage made from the kava plant
- Czech: kava — intoxicating beverage made from the kava plant
- Fijian: yaqona — intoxicating beverage made from the kava plant
- French: kava — intoxicating beverage made from the kava plant
- French: kawa — intoxicating beverage made from the kava plant
- Hawaiian: ʻawa — intoxicating beverage made from the kava plant
- Hindi: कावा (kāvā) — intoxicating beverage made from the kava plant
- Hiw: ga — intoxicating beverage made from the kava plant
- Japanese: カヴァ (kava) — intoxicating beverage made from the kava plant
- Lo-Toga: gi — intoxicating beverage made from the kava plant
- Mwotlap: ga — intoxicating beverage made from the kava plant
- Pohnpeian: sakau — intoxicating beverage made from the kava plant
- Rapa Nui: ꞌava — intoxicating beverage made from the kava plant
- Romanian: kava — intoxicating beverage made from the kava plant
- Russian: ка́ва (káva) — intoxicating beverage made from the kava plant
- Russian: кава-ка́ва (kava-káva) — intoxicating beverage made from the kava plant
- Samoan: 'ava — intoxicating beverage made from the kava plant
- Tahitian: kava — intoxicating beverage made from the kava plant
- Tongan: kava — intoxicating beverage made from the kava plant