peyote
noun
pey·o·te
| \ pā-ˈō-tē
\
\
variants:
or less commonly peyotl \ pā-ˈō-tᵊl
\
\
Definition of peyote
1
: a hallucinogenic drug containing mescaline that is derived from the dried discoid tops of a cactus (Lophophora williamsii) and is used especially in the religious ceremonies of some American Indian peoples — see peyote button
2
: a small, low, spineless cactus (Lophophora williamsii) of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico with rounded stems having jointed tubercles with tufts of usually woolly hairs
— called also mescal
Illustration of peyote
peyote 2
Examples of peyote in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Its right to use peyote was enshrined in law in 1994. — The Economist, "A mind-bending history of mescaline," 28 June 2019 In 1970, the Controlled Substances Act classified both substances as a Schedule 1 drug, along with heroin, peyote and ecstasy. — John Maccormack, ExpressNews.com, "Hemp rush begins on West Texas farms," 29 June 2019 Ethyn Maki, an employee wearing a shirt printed with peyote cactuses, sidled up. — Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, "What Is It with Millennials and Cactuses?," 24 June 2019 Unlike psilocybin mushrooms and peyote cactus, those plants are legal to buy and grow. — Hailey Branson-potts, latimes.com, "How a trip on magic mushrooms helped decriminalize psychedelic plants in a California city," 22 June 2019 This past week Oakland followed suit, also decriminalizing magic mushrooms and peyote. — Alexis Reliford, refinery29.com, "AOC Wants It To Be Easier To Study Magic Mushrooms & Other Psychedelics," 10 June 2019 That Scalia wrote the opinion in Smith, the case about Native American use of peyote, seems ironic. — Christopher Shea, Vox, "Why Jeff Sessions thinks Christians are under siege in America," 1 Aug. 2018 After obtaining a search warrant for the home, deputies found six pots of peyote cactus and two jars of the drug, totaling 1,900 grams, along with the other drugs and plants. — Dana Burke, Houston Chronicle, "Katy man allegedly caught growing peyote, marijuana in his home," 12 June 2018 Despite taking place in the same year as Huxley’s peyote trials, Michaux recounts his experience completely differently. — Emily Heller, Vox, "Michael Pollan recommends 4 books that will change the way you think about your brain," 15 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'peyote.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for peyote
peyote
noun
pey·o·te
| \ pā-ˈōt-ē
\
\
variants:
also peyotl \ -ˈōt-ᵊl
\
\
Medical Definition of peyote
1
: a hallucinogenic drug containing mescaline that is derived from peyote buttons and used especially in the religious ceremonies of some American Indian peoples
2
: a small spineless cactus of the genus Lophophora (L. williamsii) of the southwestern United States and Mexico having rounded stems covered with jointed tubercules
— called also mescal