coca
n. uncountablen. a tropical plant from South America whose leaves are used to make medicine and other products. People have chewed these leaves for a long time to get energy or help with the high altitude.
n. a South American shrub of the family Erythroxylaceae, cultivated for its leaves which contain alkaloids including cocaine. Historically significant in Andean cultures for its stimulant properties and ritual use.
Farmers in the Andes have grown coca for centuries.
The guide suggested chewing coca leaves to help us deal with the thin air at the mountain summit.
While international treaties regulate the cultivation of coca due to its role in cocaine production, many indigenous communities defend its traditional use as a fundamental cultural right.
Borrowed from Spanish coca, from Quechua kuka, perhaps from Aymara.
Borrowed from Catalan coca. Doublet of cake.
Usually refers to the plant or the leaves as a mass; can be countable when referring to specific botanical varieties.