khat
khat Lexical Profile
khat Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The fresh leaves and shoots of the khat shrub, which are chewed to release cathinone, producing a mild amphetamine-like stimulant effect.
"In many East African communities, chewing khat is a widespread social custom that traditionally accompanies conversation and communal gatherings."
An evergreen shrub (Catha edulis) native to the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, cultivated extensively for its active pharmacological properties.
"Farmers in the Yemeni highlands have cultivated khat for centuries as a major agricultural cash crop."
Word Nuance & Usage
Often spelled as 'qat' or 'chat'; while culturally entrenched and legal in much of East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, it is classified as a controlled substance in many Western countries due to its active stimulant cathinone.
• Rhymes for khat
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Arabic 'qāt', referring to the shrub native to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.