[ 'mateɪ ]
(also yerba ~ )
■ noun
1》 (also ~ tea ) a bitter infusion made from the leaves of a South American shrub, which is high in caffeine.
2》 the shrub of the holly family which produces these leaves. [ Ilex paraguariensis .]
Origin
C18: from Sp. mate 'calabash', from Quechua mati .