Origin:
AmSp < Nahuatl peyotl, caterpillar, with reference to the down in the center
See peyote in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun
A spineless, dome-shaped cactus (Lophophora williamsii) native to Mexico and the southwest United States, having buttonlike tubercles that are chewed fresh or dry as a narcotic drug by certain Native American peoples. Also called mescal.