MIRAA is the East African name for khat, a stimulant plant chewed socially in Yemen, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia. Alternative spelling of KHAT. In Scrabble, MIRAA scores 7 base points.
No. MIRAA is not in the Scrabble-style word list used by our tools (proper nouns, abbreviations and most slang are excluded), so it cannot be played in Scrabble, Words With Friends or Wordfeud. If it were allowed, its tiles would add up to 7 points in Scrabble.
| Letter | M | I | R | A | A | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scrabble | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Words With Friends | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| Wordfeud | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
MIRAA represents the intersection of botany, culture, and linguistics—a plant known by different names across regions and languages. This Swahili/Somali term for Catha edulis illustrates how local names enter English dictionaries, enriching the language while preserving cultural specificity. Understanding miraa requires exploring its botanical properties, cultural significance, and the complex social dynamics surrounding its use.
Botanically, miraa (Catha edulis) is an evergreen shrub native to the Horn of Africa and Arabian Peninsula. Fresh leaves contain cathinone, a stimulant similar to amphetamine that degrades within 48 hours of harvesting. This chemical instability drives the urgent logistics of miraa trade—leaves must reach consumers quickly. Farmers harvest before dawn, bundles race to airports, and flights deliver fresh miraa to diaspora communities worldwide by afternoon. Time literally is money in the miraa economy.
Cultural practices surrounding miraa vary by region. In Yemen, afternoon qat sessions are social institutions where men gather to chew and discuss politics, poetry, and business. Ethiopian traditions integrate khat into weddings and religious ceremonies. Kenyan Meru farmers have cultivated miraa for centuries, developing specific varieties like "giza" and "asili." Somali diaspora communities maintain miraa traditions, though many host countries ban the substance. These cultural contexts shape whether miraa is seen as heritage or hazard.
"Miraa" derives from East African languages, particularly Swahili and Somali names for the khat plant. The word entered English through colonial contact and trade relationships, representing how African terminology enriches global English.
Anagrams: no other word uses exactly the letters of MIRAA.
Words inside MIRAA: 26 shorter words can be made from these letters – highest scoring: MARIAAMIAAMIRMAARMAIRMARARAMIAIMAMAAMIARMMAR. See all words from MIRAA.