hemp
UK[hɛmp]US[hɛmp]
n
A tall plant of the nettle family, cultivated for its fibrous stems which are used to make rope, fabric, and its seeds which are used for oil.
n
The fiber obtained from this plant, used especially to make rope and strong fabrics.
n
Informal term for cannabis, especially when the plant is grown for its psychoactive properties.
Etymology
The word "hemp" has a long and winding journey into English. It entered Old English as "hænep" or "henep," borrowed from a West Germanic language, which likely got it from an early Germanic form like "hanapiz." This Germanic root is traced back to a hypothetical Proto-Indo-European source "kannab-," which is also the ancestor of the Greek "kannabis" and Latin "cannabis." The term originally referred specifically to the common hemp plant (Cannabis sativa) valued for its strong fibers. Over centuries, as the plant's other properties became known, the word's semantic field expanded in informal usage to also denote the plant when cultivated for its psychoactive compounds, creating a modern duality in its meaning.
Analysis
The word "hemp" is a simplex word. It is a loanword from Old English, which itself borrowed it from a Germanic source. Its ultimate origin is likely a prehistoric Indo-European root.
Examples
For centuries, hemp was a crucial crop for making sails and rigging for ships.
The artist uses paper made from hemp for her environmentally friendly prints.
Laws regarding the cultivation of hemp for industrial purposes have been relaxed in many regions.