Mescal

mescal
    n 1: a small spineless globe-shaped cactus; source of mescal
         buttons [syn: {mescal}, {mezcal}, {peyote}, {Lophophora
         williamsii}]
    2: a colorless Mexican liquor distilled from fermented juices of
       certain desert plants of the genus Agavaceae (especially the
       century plant)
    

Maguey \Mag"uey\, n. [Sp. maguey, Mexican maguei and metl.]
   (Bot.)
   Any of several species of {Agave}, such as the {century
   plant} ({Agave Americana}), a plant requiring many years to
   come to maturity and blossoming only once before dying; and
   the {Agave atrovirens}, a Mexican plant used especially for
   making {pulque}, the source of the colorless Mexican liquor
   {mescal}; and the {cantala} ({Agave cantala}), a Philippine
   plant yielding a hard fibre used in making coarse twine. See
   {Agave}.
   [1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5]

   2. A hard fibre used in making coarse twine, derived from the
      Philippine Agave cantala ({Agave cantala}); also called
      {cantala}.
      [WordNet 1.5]
    

Mescal \Mes*cal"\, n. [Sp.]
   A distilled liquor prepared in Mexico from a species of
   agave. See {Agave}.
   [1913 Webster]
    

Agave \A*ga"ve\ ([.a]*g[=a]"v[-e]), prop. n. [L. Agave, prop.
   name, fr. Gr. 'agayh`, fem. of 'agayo`s illustrious, noble.]
   (Bot.)
   A genus of plants (order {Amaryllidaceae}) of which the chief
   species is the maguey or century plant ({Agave Americana}),
   wrongly called Aloe. It takes from ten to seventy years,
   according to climate, to attain maturity, when it produces a
   gigantic flower stem, sometimes forty feet in height, and
   perishes. The juice has purgative and diuretic properties.
   The fermented juice is the {pulque} of the Mexicans;
   distilled, it yields {mescal}. A strong thread and a tough
   paper are made from the leaves, and the wood has many uses.
   [1913 Webster]