kola nut

noun

ko·​la nut ˈkō-lə- How to pronounce kola nut (audio)
variants or less commonly cola nut
: the bitter caffeine-containing chestnut-sized seed of a kola tree used especially as a masticatory and in beverages

Examples of kola nut in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Caffeine is a naturally occurring substance in coffee beans, tea leaves, cacao pods, and kola nuts (a fruit). Ann Pietrangelo, Verywell Health, 16 Oct. 2024 Crops native to Africa, such as watermelon, okra, yams, black-eyed peas, kola nuts (the basis for Coca-Cola), hibiscus, sesame, muskmelons (like cantaloupe and honeydew), and most significantly, African rice, were transported on ships with enslaved Africans during the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Rosalind Cummings-Yeates, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 June 2024 The second is a rum alternative flavored with kola nut and vanilla. Scott Hocker, theweek, 14 Jan. 2024 West Africans were chewing the caffeine-containing kola nut as a stimulant long before the Coca-Cola Company enticed Americans to drink its extracts. Jared Diamond, Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2023 The ceremony also incorporated other Nigerian wedding traditions including the presentation of the kola nut, a prayer of thanks to the lineage and people who came before the couple, and the blessing of the newlyweds by their parents. Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 27 Nov. 2023 Some of them, including African rice, have remained virtually confined there; others, such as African yams, eventually spread throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa; and two, the oil palm and the kola nut, spread to other continents. Jared Diamond, Discover Magazine, 17 Apr. 2023 Red drinks and food are key parts of the holiday—the importance of the color red for Juneteenth is linked to the West African plants hibiscus and kola nut. Klancy Miller, Vogue, 16 June 2023 The main ingredients in Hydroxycut include green coffee bean extract, chromium picolinate, kola nut extract, Garcinia cambogia extract, Phaseolamin (white kidney bean extract), and added caffeine. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 12 Oct. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kola nut.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

kola, perhaps modification of Malinke kolo kola nut

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kola nut was in 1868

Dictionary Entries Near kola nut

Cite this Entry

“Kola nut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kola%20nut. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

kola nut

noun
ko·​la nut ˈkō-lə- How to pronounce kola nut (audio)
: the bitter seed of an African tree containing much caffeine and used in beverages and medicine for its stimulating effect

Medical Definition

kola nut

noun
ko·​la nut
variants also cola nut
: the bitter caffeine-containing chestnut-sized seed of a kola tree used especially as a masticatory and in beverages

More from Merriam-Webster on kola nut

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!