variants or less commonly qat or kat
: a shrub (Catha edulis) of the staff-tree family that is cultivated in the Middle East and Africa for its leaves and buds which are the source of a habituating stimulant when chewed or used as a tea
also : its leaves and buds

Examples of khat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Stories are wrapped around stories that explore the existential situations of Ethiopia’s Oromo people, and the profound role played in their lives by the country’s dominant cash crop — khat — a plant that induces a dreamlike state and permeates the culture. Steve Dollar, Los Angeles Times, 23 Nov. 2021 Police confirmed the leafy material was khat. Amy Lavalley, chicagotribune.com, 24 Aug. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Arabic qāt

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of khat was in 1856

Dictionary Entries Near khat

Cite this Entry

“Khat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/khat. Accessed 8 Jan. 2025.

Medical Definition

khat

noun
variants also kat or qat or quat
: a shrub (Catha edulis) cultivated in the Middle East and Africa for its leaves and buds that are the source of a habituating stimulant when chewed or used as a tea

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