420
Americannoun
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marijuana.
Are you carrying any 420 on you?
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marijuana drug use: The guys at the party were all 420-friendly.
Police presence at the concert discouraged 420.
The guys at the party were all 420-friendly.
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the twentieth day of the fourth month, or the time 4:20, when referenced as a day or time for cannabis consumption or the celebration of marijuana culture.
The head shop has a big pipe sale every year on 420.
Usage
What is 420? 420 is a slang term (or a kind of code word) referring to marijuana or marijuana use. Due to this association, 420 is also used as the name of an unofficial holiday that marijuana enthusiasts celebrate by using marijuana. It is sometimes called Weed Day (weed is a slang term for marijuana).
Etymology
Origin of 420
First recorded in 1970–75; a code word derived from the meeting time of a particular group of marijuana smokers in 1971, later popularized by fans of the band the Grateful Dead
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Our auto columnist Dan Neil tested the Emira 420 Sport at the company’s test track in England and discovered a car that still prizes physical connection over electronic intervention.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Jarvis said the investment would create 270 jobs in Wiltshire and support 420 across the UK over the next 15 years.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Salmonella causes approximately 1.35 million infections, 26,500 hospitalizations, and 420 deaths in the U.S. every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
Early trading suggests a 58 point gain for the S&P 500, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average priced for a 420 point advance and the tech-focused Nasdaq looking at a 260 point bump.
From Barron's ● Mar. 25, 2026
In his comic play The Clouds, Aristophanes, writing in 420 bc, lampooned rhetoric as the art of weak reasoning, “which by false arguments triumphs over the strong.”
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
