ayahuasca

noun

aya·​hua·​sca ˌī-yə-ˈ(h)wä-skə 

: a psychoactive beverage containing dimethyltryptamine that is prepared especially from the bark of a woody vine (Banisteriopsis caapi of the family Malpighiaceae) and the leaves of a shrubby plant (Psychotria viridis of the family Rubiaceae) of South America

Note: Ayahuasca produces hallucinations and euphoria and is used chiefly for religious, ritualistic, and medicinal purposes. Alkaloids present in ayahuasca inhibit the breakdown of dimethyltryptamine in the liver and gastrointestinal tract by monoamine oxidase.

Ayahuasca has been traditionally used by indigenous groups and mestizo populations for getting in contact with the sacred or supernatural world, for political and artistic purposes, and also for healing.

—Rafael Guimarães dos Santos et al.

In Europe and North America, those who want to use ayahuasca for religious purposes have pitted the issue of religious freedom against the fear that the potion might be diverted to recreational drug users.

—Joanne Laucius

called also hoasca, yage

Examples of ayahuasca in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There, Craig and Starkey’s characters take ayahuasca and engage in a choreographed body-entwining dance that’s like ballet on LSD. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 Dec. 2024

The two men take the ayahuasca and go on an extremely intense trip. —Barry Levitt, TIME, 6 Dec. 2024

At times, this approaches the tone of your garden-variety L.A. surfer bro, spouting anecdotes about the benefits of ayahuasca. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2024

These numerous dreamlike interludes, including several which predate the ayahuasca, are some of the film’s weakest moments—visually dazzling, certainly, but also tiresome and indulgent, testing the audience’s patience. —Radhika Seth, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish

First Known Use

1870, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

ayahuasca

noun

aya·​hua·​sca ˌī-ə-ˈ(h)wä-skə 

variants also ayahuasco

ˌī-ə-ˈ(h)wä-(ˌ)skō, -skə

: a psychoactive beverage containing dimethyltryptamine that is prepared especially from the bark of a woody vine (Banisteriopsis caapi of the family Malpighiaceae) and the leaves of a shrubby plant (Psychotria viridis of the family Rubiaceae) of South America

Note: Ayahuasca produces hallucinations and euphoria and is used chiefly for religious, ritualistic, and medicinal purposes. Alkaloids present in ayahuasca inhibit the breakdown of dimethyltryptamine in the liver and gastrointestinal tract by monoamine oxidase.

Ayahuasca has been traditionally used by indigenous groups and mestizo populations for getting in contact with the sacred or supernatural world, for political and artistic purposes, and also for healing.

—Rafael Guimaraes dos Santos et al., Archives of Clinical Psychiatry

Their fascination with ayahuasca stems from a little-known mind-altering compound called dimethyltryptamine, or DMT, a substance the sacred tea contains by the bucketload.

—Lisa Melton, New Scientist

also : the woody vine (Banisteriopsis caapi) from which ayahuasca is prepared

called also caapi, yage