ayahuasca means A giant vine native to South America (especially Banisteriopsis caapi), noted for its psychotropic properties.
ayahuasca is pronounced /ˌaɪəˈwɑːskə/.
Why “ayahuasca” is a great word
A psychoactive brew, or the vine from which it is made, traditionally used in spiritual and healing ceremonies in Amazonian South America. From Spanish ayahuasca, from Quechua ayawaska, from aya (“spirit, ancestor”) + waska (“vine”), first attested in English c. 1870. Unlike “DMT,” which names only the potent chemical compound, or “psychedelic,” a broad clinical category, ayahuasca is the whole, ancient preparation—the bitter, muddy tea, the specific rituals of its consumption, and the vessel of centuries of tradition. It is the acrid taste that grips the throat, the serpentine visions coiling behind closed eyelids, and the profound, wrenching purge that is said to cleanse both body and soul—a dark mirror held up to the individual psyche, reflecting not mere hallucination but a demanding, ancestral dialogue.
Etymology
From Spanish ayahuasca, from Quechua ayawaska, from aya (“spirit, ancestor”) + waska (“vine”). First use appears c. 1870. See cite below.
noun
- A giant vine native to South America (especially Banisteriopsis caapi), noted for its psychotropic properties.
- Any of various psychoactive infusions or decoctions prepared from this vine.“They make use of a narcotic drink called Ayahuasca, which produces effects similar to those of opium.”
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.
- ololiuhqui 81% match — A Latin American morning glory (Ipomoea corymbosa, syns. Turbina corymbosa, Rivea corymbosa) whose seeds are hallucinogenic. vs ayahuasca →
- psychedelic 79% match — Of, containing, generating, or reminiscent of drug-induced altered awareness, distortions of perception, hallucinations, etc. vs ayahuasca →
- psychonaut 79% match — A person who explores their own psyche, commonly with the aid of psychedelic drugs. vs ayahuasca →
- vervain 77% match — Any herbaceous plant in the genus Verbena especially if used for medicinal purposes, primarily Verbena officinalis, common in Europe and formerly held to have medicinal properties. vs ayahuasca →
- curanderismo 77% match — Traditional Central American folk medicine, as practised by curanderos. vs ayahuasca →
- maloca 77% match — An ancestral longhouse used by the natives of the Amazon, notably in Colombia and Brazil. vs ayahuasca →
- kanaima 77% match — A destructive possessing spirit according to the beliefs of parts of South America. vs ayahuasca →
- psychotropism 76% match — The desire for or pursuit of altered states of consciousness. vs ayahuasca →