hemp
Americannoun
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Also called Indian hemp, marijuana. a tall, coarse plant, Cannabis sativa, that is native to Asia but naturalized or cultivated in many parts of the world and is the source of a valuable fiber as well as drugs such as marijuana and hashish.
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the tough fiber of this plant, used for making rope, coarse fabric, etc.
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any of various plants resembling hemp.
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any of various fibers similar to hemp.
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a narcotic drug, as marijuana or hashish, prepared from the hemp plant.
noun
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Also called: cannabis. marijuana. an annual strong-smelling Asian plant, Cannabis sativa , having tough fibres, deeply lobed leaves, and small greenish flowers: family Cannabidaeceae See also Indian hemp
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the fibre of this plant, used to make canvas, rope, etc
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any of several narcotic drugs obtained from some varieties of this plant, esp from Indian hemp See bhang cannabis hashish marijuana
Other Word Forms
- hempen adjective
- hemplike adjective
Etymology
Origin of hemp
First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English henep, hænep; cognate with Old High German hanaf, German Hanf, Greek kánnabis; further origin uncertain, perhaps from Scythian (Herodotus describes in book 4 the Scythian hemp-smoking ceremony) or Thracian; compare also Sumerian kunibu “hemp”
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.
The earliest passenger elevators were powered by steam engines and used hemp ropes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026
To replace some building materials, she's especially enthusiastic about the possibilities of hemp.
From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026
Vegans and vegetarians have popularized plant-based milk alternatives — almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, cashew, hemp, coconut; if it grows, it may have a milk version.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026
Researchers in the US examined information from the Dog Aging Project to better understand the characteristics, health patterns, and behavior of dogs that received CBD or hemp supplements.
From Science Daily • Nov. 28, 2025
It’s the vegetarian diner a couple of blocks from the church, the place with chill music, hemp bagels and petitions at the cash register.
From "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson
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.
