hemp

Definition

A tall annual herb, Cannabis sativa, native to Asia.

Etymology

From Middle English hemp, from Old English henep, from Proto-West Germanic *hanapi, from Proto-Germanic *hanapiz. Doublet of cannabis and canvas.

Example Sentences

• "Among Turks, pills consisting of hemp buds, muscat nuts, saffron, and honey were a popular aphrodisiac."
• "A hundred and fifty years ago, Cotton Mather bewails the carnal attractions of the tavern and the training field, and tells of an old Indian, who imperfectly understood the English tongue but desperately mastered enough of it to express a desire for instant hemp rather than listen to any more ghostly consolations."

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