yaupon

Meaning

Noun

• The yaupon holly, Ilex vomitoria (species), an evergreen holly shrub with white flowers and red or yellow berries, found in the south-eastern United States.
• A tea-like drink, "black drink", brewed from the leaves of this holly (or, sometimes, Ilex cassine (species)).

Origin

• From a Catawba word, most likely yap, with the second element being either a diminutive suffix or pą (resulting in the compound yąpą); alternatively, perhaps directly from a longer form of the word for leaf, 'yap'hâ.