What does ayahuasca mean?
Ayahuasca is a noun referring to a powerful psychoactive drink traditionally prepared by indigenous peoples of the Amazon basin. The brew is made primarily from the woody vine Banisteriopsis caapi, often combined with plants containing dimethyltryptamine (DMT), such as chacruna. The name comes from Quechua, in which related forms mean 'vine of the souls' or 'vine of the dead', reflecting the belief that the drink allows communication with ancestral spirits. In its traditional setting, ayahuasca is consumed under the guidance of a shaman during ceremonial sessions intended for healing, divination, or spiritual insight. Since the late twentieth century the word has spread far beyond South America, appearing frequently in coverage of psychedelic research, wellness retreats, and debates about religious freedom and drug policy. It is a culturally loaded term, evoking both ancient ritual tradition and contemporary counterculture, and its use abroad raises ongoing questions about legality, safety, and respect for the indigenous communities who originated the practice.
nounA psychoactive infusion brewed from the woody vine Banisteriopsis caapi, typically combined with other plants such as chacruna, used traditionally by indigenous peoples of the Amazon basin and now also in ceremonial and spiritual contexts worldwide.
- The psychoactive Amazonian brew made chiefly from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine, used in traditional and contemporary ceremonial contexts.
"Participants travelled to Peru to take part in an ayahuasca ceremony led by a Shipibo healer."
"The shaman prepared the ayahuasca over several hours, chanting as the thick brown liquid simmered."
"Researchers are studying whether ayahuasca may have therapeutic potential for depression and addiction."
Rarely pluralised; the uncountable singular is standard because ayahuasca normally refers to the brew as a substance or practice rather than to individual servings. When distinct preparations are meant, the plural may appear in scholarly or journalistic writing.
"The study compared ayahuascas prepared by different indigenous groups across the western Amazon."
Its Quechua name literally means 'vine of the dead' — a drink named after the spirits it was believed to let you meet.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of ayahuasca
The word ayahuasca comes from Quechua, the language family of the Andean region of South America, where it refers to the 'vine of the souls' or 'vine of the dead'. It entered European languages through Spanish during the colonial period as explorers and missionaries documented Amazonian practices, and it became widely known internationally only in the twentieth century as interest in ethnobotany and psychedelics grew. It belongs to a small group of English words borrowed from Quechua, alongside terms such as quinoa, llama, jerky (from charqui), and guano.
How ayahuasca is actually used
The word carries strong connotations of shamanism, ritual, and altered states of consciousness. In modern usage it often appears in discussions of psychedelic therapy, wellness retreats, and indigenous cultural traditions, so writers should be sensitive to questions of cultural appropriation and to the legal restrictions that apply in many countries.
Easily confused with ayahuasca
Yagé is an alternative indigenous name for essentially the same Amazonian brew rather than a different substance.