pe·yo·te \pāˈ(y)ōd.ē\noun alsope·yotl\-d.əl\; orpa·yo·te\-d.ē\ (-s) Etymology: Mexican Spanish peyote, from Nahuatl peyotl 1.: any of several cacti (genus Lophophora) of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico; especially: mescal 2.: a stimulant drug derived from mescal buttons and used in religious ceremonials by some Indian peoples