Haschisch
/ˈhæʃɪʃ/noun
A resinous drug derived from cannabis, especially the concentrated resin of the plant.
Did you know?The European word passed through Arabic and Persian, and later writers popularized a false but irresistible link to the medieval Nizari Ismailis called the Ḥašīšiyyīn, a story that helped give the drug an aura of forbidden mystique.
Etymological Timeline
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
ḥašīš
“grass, herb, or dried herb; later specifically cannabis resin or hemp-related preparations”
Medieval Persian
Persian
ḥašīš
“cannabis, hashish”
16th–17th Century
French
haschisch
“A borrowed term for cannabis resin or hemp preparation”
19th Century
English
hashish
“Cannabis resin used as an intoxicant”
Modern English
English
hashish
“The resinous drug obtained from cannabis”