Cannabinoid
/ˌkæn.əˈbɪn.ɔɪd/noun
A chemical compound that acts on cannabinoid receptors in the body or is structurally related to cannabis compounds.
Did you know?Cannabinoid is a modern scientific coinage: it combines cannabis with the Greek-derived suffix -oid, so the word literally means “cannabis-like,” not a mystical term from antiquity.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kánnabis
“Hemp or cannabis, the plant name that entered later European languages.”
Late Latin
Latin
cannabis
“Hemp; the same plant name carried into Latin from Greek or an earlier source.”
Old English
English
hænep
“Hemp, the common Germanic word for the fiber plant.”
19th Century
English
cannabis
“The botanical and pharmacological term for the hemp plant and its preparations.”
20th Century
English
cannabinoid
“A cannabis-like chemical compound, especially one that interacts with cannabinoid receptors.”