Nanacate
/ˌnænəˈkɑːteɪ/noun
A mushroom, especially one of the hallucinogenic mushrooms associated with Indigenous Mexican traditions.
Did you know?The related Nahuatl term teonanácatl—literally “god mushroom” or “sacred mushroom”—was recorded by Spanish observers describing Indigenous ritual use of hallucinogenic fungi.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian period
Nahuatl
nanácatl
“Mushroom or fungus”
16th Century
Nahuatl
teonanácatl
““Sacred mushroom” or “god mushroom,” a ritual term recorded by Spanish chroniclers”
16th Century
Spanish
nanacate
“A mushroom; a Spanish borrowing from Nahuatl nanácatl”
19th–20th Century
Mexican Spanish
nanacate
“A mushroom, particularly in regional Mexican usage”
Modern English
English
nanacate
“A mushroom, especially a hallucinogenic species associated with Mexico”
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